Pinocchio: A Rising Star
by MagicMovieNerd
Summary: Walt Disney's adaptation of the story of a little wooden boy - only our titular character has a sister figure named Maria. Maria dreams of becoming a singer like her late mother, but first, she must help guide Pinocchio along to grant Gepetto's wish, as well as conquer her shyness.
1. Chapter 1

**One - A Bittersweet Beginning**

Long ago, in a little Italian village, there lived a beautiful woman named Arabella Romano. She had fair skin, black hair, and amber brown eyes, but crowning feature was her golden voice. Arabella would usually earn money by singing songs for villagers in the streets, and on occasion, at the local theater. Everyone in the village adored her, especially Marco Casteluccio, a poor shoe cobbler. Every day, while he worked on repairing shoes, Marco would open his shop window just to hear Arabella singing; her voice always put the young man in a cheerful mood, making him enjoy his job. But Marco wanted more than just to repair shoes – he wanted to carve wooden puppets to perform alongside Arabella's singing.

Marco knew where Arabella lived, so every night, he would stand outside her bedroom window and sing love songs for her. Arabella giggled and sighed with content whenever she opened her window and saw the young man trying to impress her. Eventually, the time came when Marco started courting with the young woman, and then all the villagers would look in awe at their favorite star going out with a humble cobbler. But neither the cobbler nor the singer would mind – for their love was stronger than any force on Earth.

One night, Marco wished upon the brightest star in the sky; he wished for Arabella to join her hand with his in marriage. Up in the sky, a magical woman known as the Blue Fairy heard Marco's wish and said, "Dearest Marco Casteluccio, you have done acts of kindness and love for the likes of other people – especially Miss Romano – and so, I will help you grant your wish. Tomorrow night, I shall bring Arabella to you, and then, I will watch you propose to her."

So the next evening, Arabella was at her home folding clothes when she noticed a glowing blue orb, floating in the sky outside her bedroom window. "Is it another one of Marco's tricks?" she asked herself with a sly grin. So she stopped what she was doing, went downstairs, and then walked out the door. When she got outside, Arabella saw the orb float away to west side of town, so she followed it. After a few minutes, Arabella found herself in front of Marco's house, and the orb disappeared!

Marco, who saw his love, ran outside and got on his bended knee. "Arabella," he said, "I have loved you for a long time – not only do I adore your singing, but I also enjoy the pleasure of your company – so I ask, will you do the honor of becoming my wife?" He then pulled a ring out from his coat pocket and gave it to her.

Arabella gasped and said with delight, "Of course, Marco! Together, we shall live in happiness, and maybe we will start a family of our own?" Marco agreed with her response, and the two hugged each other tightly.

A few months later, Marco and Arabella got married, and settled into a humble cottage just outside the village. As time went by, though, Arabella began coughing more than usual. At first, she thought nothing of it, and would say, "Oh, it's probably just something in the air." Marco tried to keep a smiling face, but he couldn't help but worry about his wife's health. But his worries were forgotten when one day Marco's wife told him she was expecting their first child. He knew that he would have to find a good job, in order to pay off expenses for the new family member; so when he heard word of a new village wood carver looking for an apprentice, Marco immediately took the opportunity to apply for that job. And it was a success! Marco found work with a friendly old fellow named Gepetto, who took pride in carving cuckoo clocks, music boxes, figurines, pipes, and many other handy items.

"So what brings you here to work for me?" Gepetto asked with a smile to Marco on the first day.

Marco responded, "My wife is with child, and I need to pay off expenses for our baby."

Gepetto thought and said, "Well, all I can offer are a few pieces of silver at the end of each week, but I also give you my blessing for a beautiful and healthy child!"

"Oh, grazie, signore!" said Marco with a smile. And with that, Gepetto began teaching his new apprentice the basics of woodcarving.

The days grew into weeks, and the weeks became months, and Marco was becoming more intermediate at woodcarving. Eventually, the time came when Arabella was about to have her baby. However, she became sick with what appeared to be a common cold shortly before she went into labor. "Do not worry, my dear," said Marco as he held his wife's hand while she lay in her bed, "Fate should let us go through with having our precious child come to us – and I will make sure you feel well again!"

As the doctor and midwife came into the bedroom, Arabella looked at her husband with a weak smile and said, "But no matter what happens, I will always be here for you and our child."

After a couple hours of labor, Arabella was able to give birth to a healthy baby girl. As the doctor and midwife left the house, Marco held his new daughter in a blanket and gave a big smile. He reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out Arabella's most prized possession – a golden necklace – and held it over his baby's head. The baby looked at the golden object, and gave a coo of content. She was a beautiful girl who had fair skin, a patch of black hair on her head, and sapphire blue eyes. "We'll name her Maria," said Marco as he handed the child to her mother's arms, "Because she is just as beautiful as the Holy Mother herself."

Arabella coughed into her elbow before holding Maria and said, "Oh, Marco, what a beautiful name! My little Maria – someday you will do good deeds for others, and you will be a rising star. I know it!" Arabella then handed Maria back to Marco before he gently placed her into a nearby wooden cradle and rocked her to sleep.

The next morning, Arabella's cold went from bad to worse. She coughed harshly and more frequent, and she felt sharp pains in her chest. Marco went to fetch a doctor, who then told him that his wife had a severe case of pneumonia, and may not live the next day. Marco gave a shocked look and held his baby close to him when he heard the dreadful news.

Throughout the rest of the day, Arabella's breathing turned into wheezing, and eventually that evening, she called her husband to her side. "Marco," she breathed, "I… I want you to… take care of our little Maria."

"But dearest!" Marco pleaded with moist eyes, "I can't do this alone!"

"You shall not be alone," Arabella coughed, "For… I… will be all around you and our child… at all times. Fate shall be… kind. I can see… in my heart… that Maria shall grow into a lovable, caring… girl. I… love… you." And with those last words, Arabella breathed her last breath, closed her eyes, and died peacefully. Maria began to cry as Marco shed many tears and sobbed for his lost love.

While grieving, Marco managed to raise Maria on his own, even though it was a very difficult task. But as the weeks became months, and months became years, Maria began to grow into a fine young girl. Even though she had no memory of her mother, Maria's father would always tell his daughter wonderful tales about Arabella – her beautiful appearance, her kind nature, and her golden singing voice. Sometimes, Maria and her father would sing songs before bedtime or while they worked on household chores. Although the girl was very close with her father and had big dreams, she had very few people in terms of friends. She had trouble socializing with other children, because Maria was very shy, especially when it came to singing in public. Her teacher would ask, "Maria, your father tells me that you inherit your mother's beautiful voice, but why do you not sing for us?"

The young girl would only hang her head and mumble, "I don't know. I've never done it in front of a crowd before." Her teacher told her that Maria would eventually grow out of being shy, and that she should try to fit in by working with others. When her father heard this, he decided to take Maria to meet Gepetto one day when she was around nine. When Gepetto saw the little girl, he saw a beautiful splitting image of Arabella, only with blue eyes instead of light brown.

Maria shyly smiled and said to Marco, "I like Signore Gepetto."

"I knew you would," answered Marco as he playfully rubbed his daughter's head.

After that first meeting, Marco began to allow Maria to visit Gepetto's workshop every day after school. Maria loved it there; she liked looking at all the funny cuckoo clocks, listening to the happy melodies from the music boxes, and watching little marionettes being made – if Gepetto was in the mood for a project like that. Sometimes the old man would let the little girl paint his dolls and figurines with bright and warm colors.

One Saturday when Maria was eleven years old, Marco had to sell a few of his hand-carved figures in the countryside, so he let his daughter stay with Gepetto. "I will be back within a week, my darling," said Marco to his daughter, "In the meantime, you shall have a wonderful time with Signore Gepetto, and I will let you have something to remember me in case you are lonely." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the golden necklace he showed her when she was a baby before he continued, "This was your mama's most prized possession, and I kept it with me at all times ever since she passed away. I was saving it for your twelfth birthday, but I will give it to you now, and let it be yours."

Maria beamed and said, "Oh, thank you, Papa! It's beautiful!"

"Even though I will be gone for a while, I want you to look at it and think of me whenever you are lonely," said Marco as he began to leave, "Now do as I bid and be a good girl for me and Signore Gepetto. I love you!"

"I love you, too, Papa," said Maria, waving goodbye to her father. So Marco mounted a brown horse, and then trotted off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two - Bonding with Gepetto**

One week passed, and Marco never returned. Maria held her new necklace's pendant and tried to think of her father's love, but she became more and more worried. "He's never coming back," she sadly told Gepetto the night after the seven days, "He promised he would be home yesterday, but he hasn't showed up."  
"Now, now, Maria," said Gepetto with comfort, "I'm sure he'll come back. But if he doesn't, then I will take care of you. Now you'd better get some sleep for school tomorrow."  
"Very well," sighed Maria. So she went to her bedroom to prepare for bed, hoping and praying for her father's safe return.  
Several more days passed, and Marco still didn't return. This time, Gepetto and Maria worried that he had died or was kidnapped. By the time Maria's twelfth birthday came, she and Gepetto celebrated with a quiet, little celebration. "My dear Maria," said Gepetto, "If both your parents were here, they'd probably want you to have plenty of gifts. But all I can offer are a few new friends. Close your eyes, and I'll tell you when to open them again!"  
Maria closed her eyes, and Gepetto placed a few things on the table. Then he told her to open her eyes again. When she did, Maria was surprised to see a fishbowl with a little goldfish swimming about, and a black and white kitten walking around the table. "Oh, Signore Gepetto, are those for me?" she asked with enthusiasm.  
"Yes, my dear," said Gepetto with a smile, "The little water baby is named Cleo, and the little kitten has been called Figaro! Since you have no family at the moment, I thought I would make it up to you to have some extra friends around the place." Maria smiled and gave the old man a hug before he continued, "But that is not all. Come with me and I will show you another little friend that will come!" He led Maria to his main working area, and showed her a large log lying on a work table.

Maria gave an unsure look and asked, "This log is my other new friend?"  
Gepetto replied, "Well, I'm going to do some work on it, and then you will see. Would you like to help?"  
"Of course!" said Maria with a smile. So Gepetto asked her to put on an apron and some protective gloves before he got out some of his useful tools.  
"Now, I'm going to do most of the cutting and carving," explained Gepetto as he put on his own gloves, "I don't want you to get hurt, so I will let you know when it is safe to help me out, all right?"  
"Yes, Signore Gepetto," said Maria, "By the way, what kind of wood is this?"  
"The lumberjacks told me it is called 'laughing pine,'" replied Gepetto, "I do not know why, but one lumberjack told me that if you listen very closely, you may hear the sound of laughter inside!" Maria leaned her head over to the log to try and hear laughing, but she couldn't hear any. "Oh, don't you worry!" said Gepetto with a smile, "Maybe when I cut a little deeper, you may hear it." He then gently motioned for Maria to step aside so he could work.

All day long, Gepetto worked hard on sawing and carving what appeared to be a little wooden boy out of his piece of laughing pine. Every once in a while, he'd ask Maria to hold down the log while he measured and chiseled. "So what's it gonna be?" Maria asked the old man.  
"It will be a little wooden marionette," replied Gepetto, "That's a kind of puppet. He will be a very special one, I tell you!"  
"Will I play with him when he's done?"  
"Of course," Gepetto smiled, "The both of us will treasure him as if he were my son!"  
When Gepetto mentioned the word "son," Maria's smiled dropped a bit. Listening to the name of a family position made her think of her father. "I miss Papa," she said softly to herself with slight sadness.  
Gepetto heard her and said, "I know you do. But at least you have me as your godfather to watch and protect over you."  
Maria made a small smile and asked, "Signore Gepetto, may I call you 'Papa?' That is, IF my real papa never comes back?"  
Gepetto beamed and hugged the girl, indicating that he was saying, "Yes." Figaro the kitten, who was sitting on a different table with Cleo in her bowl, watched with satisfaction and awe.

That night, the old man and his goddaughter had finished carving out a body for what would soon be a marionette boy. Now it was time to start getting ready for bed. Maria changed from her usual green and white dress into a white nightgown with red trimming at the hem of the skirt; Gepetto also changed into a nightgown, along with a nightcap. "Papa," said Maria, "Every night, my real papa and I used to sing a song before I went to sleep. Would you mind if I sang a song before going to sleep?"  
"Absolutely not!" smiled Gepetto as he climbed into his bed, which was a few feet away from Maria's smaller bed, "Go right ahead, little Maria. But then, it is time to sleep."  
"Alright!" beamed Maria, "Here's one my real papa says was one of Mama's favorites." So she cleared her throat and sang:

 _If I had words to make a day for you_  
 _I'd sing you a morning, golden and true!_  
 _I would make this day last a long time_  
 _Give you a night deep in moon shine!_

"Oh, that was beautiful," whispered Gepetto, "Now it is time to sleep. Good night, Maria."  
"Good night, Papa," yawned Maria as she laid down within her bed sheets. Gepetto blew out a candle on his bedside drawer, and then went to sleep, while Figaro slept in a little cat's bed, and Cleo slept inside a little underwater castle in her bowl.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three - Working on the Puppet**

The next day, Gepetto and Maria sanded off staggering splinters on their little marionette, and then smoothed things out a bit. After that, the old man picked up a smaller block of wood and appeared to carve out a little triangular prism. "What are you making now, Papa?" Maria asked.  
"A little hat for our new boy, of course!" responded Gepetto, "After all, if he's going to meet someone new, then he should be able to tip a hat to them!"  
"Good point," Maria agreed with a smile, "And maybe he could have a little feather in his hat?"  
"We'll glue one in after the hat is finished, okay?"  
Maria nodded and allowed for the old man to continue working on his puppet's hat. While doing so, Maria hummed a merry tune that she remembered from her father singing once when she was little. "I'd say, Maria," said Gepetto as he looked at her, "Do you know the name of that merry tune?"  
Maria thought for a bit and then admitted, "I don't remember what it's called, but my real father used to sing it to me once in a while." An idea then popped into her head as she exclaimed, "Hey! We can borrow that melody and sing it to our marionette when it's finished!"  
Gepetto gave a thoughtful look and then chuckled, "Oh, yes! Why not? After all, if he's going to be part of our new family, then we must have a welcoming celebration." So then Maria walked over to the main bedroom to check on Figaro and Cleo.

When she saw her two animal friends, Maria was surprised to see that Figaro wasn't like other cats when it came to bowls of goldfish – he didn't look at Cleo with hungry eyes, and he didn't attempt to stick his paw in the water, either. Instead, he sat by and licked his tongue against Cleo's bowl, making the little fish blush and swim a little dance for him. "Wow, Figaro!" said Maria when she saw this with delight, "You sure aren't like other cats I've seen. There's something very special about you. No wonder why Signore Gepetto chose you _and_ Cleo both!" Figaro meowed, and then jumped off the table where he and Cleo were sitting on into Maria's hands; he let out a contented purr, and Maria blushed, too. Just then, the girl heard Gepetto calling for her to give him some assistance. "Alright, Figaro," she said as she placed the kitten on Gepetto's bed, "You and Cleo be good now, and stick around for what we have in store tonight!"

When Maria returned to Gepetto's work room, the old man smiled and asked, "How would you like to help me paint this little fellow, Maria? You may choose whichever colors you'd like!"  
Maria's face lit up as she cried, "Me? Choose the colors for the puppet? Oh, Papa, I'd love to!"  
Gepetto chuckled, "Oh, all right, little Maria! I have some colors for you to choose. You may pick out three!" He held up five pots of paint with red, white, blue, yellow, and black colors.  
Maria looked at them thoughtfully and then decided, "I choose black, because of my hair color; blue, because of my eyes; and red, because of the color of love – I love working on this project as if it were my real job!"  
Gepetto laughed and said, "Very well. I will let you have those colors while I have yellow and white."  
"Grazie, Papa, grazie!" said the girl, who began painting the top of the wooden boy's head for his hair.

About an hour later, Gepetto and Maria had finished most of their painting. The marionette gave a clear image of a little boy with black hair and blue eyes similar to Maria's; he also wore a yellow shirt, white gloves, red pants with a yellow stripe on each leg, reddish-brown shoes, a blue bowtie, and the triangular hat, which was now yellow with a little red feather. The only things missing now were his eyebrows and mouth. "Now, Maria," said Gepetto, "We will let him dry for a couple of hours. Then, later tonight, I shall paint on a pair of eyebrows and a happy smile for a mouth. How does that sound?"  
"That sounds good, Papa," Maria said with a small smile; she was happy to be nearly finished with the marionette, but she was sad that she had to let the paint dry for a while and not use her new friend right away.  
"Oh, don't feel down, child," Gepetto said as he put his hand on the girl's shoulder for comfort, "In the meantime, you may help me with preparing for another day of business tomorrow. Even though tomorrow you have school, that doesn't mean you can't still help me a little."  
The corners of Maria's mouth turned more upward as she replied, "Okay, Papa. Let's go!" So she and Gepetto happily walked over to the main area of his shop to tidy a few things up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Four - A Newcomer Cricket and a Celebration**

Later that evening, in another part of the village, a little anthropomorphic cricket was wandering around, looking for a place to stay. His name was Jiminy, and he had light green skin while he donned a tattered, jade green overcoat, a worn red scarf, a lime green shirt, a pair tan pants, and matching shoes that were falling apart; he also wore a top hat that was torn up. Clearly, he had been through a lot of trouble, and he couldn't find any life within the village, except for a light in Gepetto's shop.

Through the window, Jiminy saw a perfectly good fire that wasn't being attended to, and he thought that a good source of warmth couldn't go to waste. So he jumped carefully down to the ground, and then crawled underneath the main door. When he got in, the cricket looked around to make sure no one was stirring about. When he saw that the coast was clear, Jiminy hopped over to the fireplace and used his little umbrella to bring a stray coal close to him. As he warmed his behind a little bit, Jiminy looked around the place and saw adorable wooden cuckoo clocks on the wall, and shelves chock-full of music boxes, dolls, and figurines. But the one thing that caught Jiminy's eye was the little wooden marionette that Gepetto and Maria had been working on.

After warming up a bit, Jiminy went over to the area of the room where the wooden boy was resting on a table. He looked up at the puppet and chuckled to himself, "Cute little fella!" Then he hopped up to the table's top, and decided to get a better view of the puppet. After hopping onto the puppet's foot, Jiminy saw a string and decided to have a little fun. "Ding, ding!" he said, imitating a bell's rope, "Goin' up?" The cricket then used his umbrella to help him climb up the string, before he stood up on the puppet's nose. He knocked on the head with his umbrella and added, "A good piece of wood, too!"

Just then, Jiminy heard some familiar voices coming closer. He climbed onto a higher shelf as Gepetto, Maria, and Figaro were all coming down the stairs to finish their creation. "Well now, it won't take much longer," said Gepetto.  
"Just a little more paint, and it'll be finished!" added Maria with a smile.  
"That's right," added Gepetto, "I think he'll be alright, don't you, Figaro?" Figaro meowed a happy meow.  
While Gepetto painted eyebrows onto the puppet's face, Jiminy tried to get a closer look, but he fell from the shelf he was on, only to open his umbrella and use it like a parachute. Then, he went to a lower shelf to watch the action. He rested his hand on the backside of a porcelain female figurine, but then he realized his mistake and chuckled to the figure, "Oh, beg pardon, miss!"  
Meanwhile, Gepetto concentrated hard to paint the perfect smile onto the puppet's lips. "See?" he said when he was finished, "That makes a big difference!"  
Figaro and Cleo smiled in agreement, while Maria added, "That's pretty good, Papa!"  
Jiminy, who was watching from the shelf, commented, "Very good. Very, very good-" His sentence was cut off when he saw a wooden figure of a man scowling. Jiminy looked at it and said, "Well, can't please everybody." He then scowled just like the figure.

Down below, Gepetto announced to the puppet, "Now I have just the name for you. Pinocchio!" He turned to Figaro and asked, "Do you like it, Figaro?"  
The kitten just shook his head with a frown, and Maria said, "I don't think he does."  
"No?" Gepetto asked with a disappointed look, "You do, don't you, Cleo?"  
The goldfish shook her head, and Maria remarked, "Well I think Pinocchio is a wonderful name!"  
"Well, we'll leave it to the little wooden head!" said Gepetto. He then asked his puppet, "Do you like it?" Gepetto moved the string on the puppet's head to make him nod. Then the old man laughed, "That settles it! Pinocchio it is!"  
"I'm so glad, Papa!" Maria beamed as she gave Gepetto a hug. Up on the shelf, Jiminy Cricket gave a contented smile.  
"Come now, let's try him out!" Gepetto said as he gathered Pinocchio and led Maria to an open part of the room. "Music professor!" he announced as he went over to a music box where Jiminy Cricket was. Jiminy saw Gepetto, and then ran off as the old man pressed a button to make little figures on the music box move and play music.

Underneath the music box, poor Jiminy was being bonked about by the moving wheels and cogs that operated the music box. "Hey!" he cried as he winced with pain, "Ow, ow, ow! Take it easy there! Break it up, will ya?" He then climbed out, only to be whacked on the head by the moving key on the side of the box. "A lot of downbeats in there!" he remarked as he got up. He then watched as Gepetto and Maria happily played with Pinocchio the marionette and Figaro.  
"Maria, I think I may have words to that song you were humming earlier," Gepetto said with a smile; he then began to sing:

 _Little wooden head, go play your part_  
 _Bring a little joy to every heart!_  
 _Little do you know, and yet it's true_  
 _That I'm mighty proud of you!_

As Gepetto sang, Figaro tried to dance along, but Pinocchio kept getting in his way!

 **Gepetto:** _Little wooden feet and best of all_  
 _Little wooden seat in case you fall!_  
 _(drops Pinocchio down) Oh, how graceful!_  
 _My little wooden head!_

Maria happily remarked, "Oh, Papa! Those are the most delightful lyrics I've heard in any song!"

Meanwhile, Jiminy Cricket was gleefully admiring the little wooden figures on the music box. One man conducted a man playing a violin, another on accordion, and another whistling the tune. As Gepetto and Maria danced by, Jiminy pretended to be a trumpeter so that no one would see him.  
"Let's introduce Pinocchio to Cleo and Figaro," Maria suggested to Gepetto.  
"Good idea, darling!" Gepetto beamed. He then moved his marionette towards Cleo's bowl, while the little fish wondered what was going on.  
"Cleo, meet Pinocchio!" said Gepetto.  
"Say, 'How do you do?'" Maria told the puppet with a smile. Gepetto moved the string for Pinocchio's hat, while Cleo smiled and swam a little dance.  
"Now say hello to Figaro!" Maria beamed to Pinocchio. Figaro was licking his paw when Gepetto brought Pinocchio down to the little kitten. He then moved the puppet's hand over the kitten's back, but then moved his foot to playfully kick Figaro.  
"Oops!" laughed Gepetto, "He missed you already!"  
"Pinocchio, that wasn't very nice!" Maria scolded playfully. Figaro, who was not happy with the new arrival, moved his front paw and whacked the puppet on the foot, getting it tangled in other strings!  
Gepetto fixed Pinocchio's foot and said, "You see what happens?" He then put Pinocchio down in front of Figaro, and then made him move closer and closer to the little kitten. Figaro backed away slowly until he fell onto a lower step. As Figaro got up, Gepetto made Pinocchio jump at him and say, "Boo!" The old man laughed as Figaro peeked out from behind the step.

In the meantime, the melody on the music box ended when Gepetto picked up Pinocchio and chuckled, "Up we go! You're a cute little boy!" Figaro, however, meowed and caressed Gepetto's ankle, which probably indicated that he wanted attention.  
"Papa," Maria said to Gepetto, "I think Figaro wants something."  
Gepetto looked down and saw the kitten meow for him. "Oh, you rascal!" he said as he picked up the little feline, "Jealous, huh?" He then walked along and said to the puppet, "You know, Pinocchio, I think Figaro is jealous of you." He set Pinocchio and Figaro down on a table and said to the kitten, "Don't worry, Figaro, I shall…" His sentence was cut off when clocks began chiming.  
"Papa, look how late it's getting," said Maria. She looked around, and all the cuckoo clocks began to strike nine and make noises. One clock had some ducks coming out of the water and quacking the chimes; another had a bee coming out of a flower's center to buzz the chimes; another one had a mother bird with her three chicks coming out of their eggs; another clock had a man attempting to behead a turkey, but with no success; another clock had a hunter attempting to shoot a bird with a gun, but with no success; another clock had a drunken man come out of a bar and "hiccup"; and another clock had a mother punishing her naughty son by giving him a spanking.  
"I wonder what time it is," Gepetto wondered as he reached into his vest and pulled out a pocket watch. The watch, which had a couple of men cheering with mugs of beer, said nine o'clock. "You're right, Maria. It is getting late," he said. Maria and Figaro both yawned as Gepetto told them, "Come now, we're going to bed." He said to the puppet as he picked up Figaro, "Good night, Pinocchio."  
Maria kissed the little puppet on the head and repeated, "Good night, Pinocchio. Little funny face!"

Up on a shelf, Jiminy Cricket was getting a little sleepy, too; he stretched and yawned. Back down below, Gepetto said to Cleo, "Good night, Cleo. My little water baby." He gently stroked Cleo's back while the goldfish bubbled in satisfaction.  
Maria then reached her finger in and tickled the fish's belly. "Good night, Cleo," she repeated.  
Figaro was about to move on, but then Gepetto said, "Figaro! You say good night, too." Figaro looked at Cleo with a grimace, while the little fish smiled.  
"Go on," instructed Maria, "Give her a kiss." Figaro reluctantly licked against Cleo's bowl, making the little fish smile and swim a little dance.  
"Now go to sleep, my little mermaid," Gepetto said to Cleo as he picked up Figaro, "Good night." Cleo swam to her little castle, and then settled into a sleeping position.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five - A Noisy Night**

Up on a shelf, Jiminy Cricket had removed his coat, hat and shoes; he then got into a comfortable position on the tip of a violin and yawned, "This is my idea of comfort – solid comfort."  
Down below, Maria and Gepetto had just changed into their nightgowns, and were preparing for a good night's sleep. Gepetto was already in bed, smoking a pipe; Maria reminded him, "Be careful about smoking in bed, Papa. My real papa told me that if you doze off while doing so…"  
"Oh, now, don't you worry," Gepetto replied with a little puff of smoke, "I'm not going to let anything happen."  
Maria sighed in relief as she climbed into her own bed and watched Figaro purring in his sleep within his little kitty-sized bed.

From his bed, Gepetto looked at Pinocchio on the shelf and chuckled, "Look at him, Figaro." Figaro wearily opened his eyes and saw Pinocchio as Gepetto continued, "He almost looks alive. Wouldn't it be nice if he was a real boy?"  
Maria added with a smile, "Oh that would be wonderful. It would be like having my own little brother!"  
"Yes," said Gepetto as he put his pipe away, "Oh well, come on, we'll go to sleep. He then put out the flame of his bedside candle out with a little cap, and then got into a comfortable sleeping position.  
Maria then decided to sing a little song before going to sleep herself:

 _When at night I go to sleep_  
 _Fourteen angels watch do keep_  
 _Two my head are guarding_  
 _Two my feet are guiding_  
 _Two are on my right hand_  
 _Two are on my left hand_  
 _Two who warmly cover_  
 _Two who o'er me hover_  
 _Two to whom 'tis given_  
 _To guide my steps to Heaven._

"Oh, my dear Maria, that was lovely," Gepetto yawned with a smile, "But now it's time to sleep. I'm sure your mama would be proud of your beautiful voice."  
"Thank you, Papa," Maria yawned before she made herself comfortable and laid down.

Meanwhile, Figaro was just going back to sleep when Gepetto said, "Aw, Figaro." Figaro woke up with a grumpy face as Gepetto looked at him and said, "I forgot to open the window." The old man pointed to the window above his bed as Figaro reluctantly threw off his bedclothes, climbed onto his master's bed, and then went towards the window to open it. It was quite a difficult task for the little kitten, but Figaro managed to open it; a bright blue light shone through the room. "Oh, Figaro, Maria! Look, look, the wishing star!" Gepetto exclaimed with excitement as he sat up and pointed outside. Maria woke up and got out of bed to investigate; up on the shelf, Jiminy Cricket looked to see what was going on, too.

As Maria climbed onto her godfather's bed to see, Gepetto was kneeling as he said, "Starlight, star bright. First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might. Have the wish I make tonight." Maria looked out the window a saw a star that was shining very brightly in the sky. So she bowed her head and repeated the same rhyme Gepetto recited. Figaro yawned as Gepetto asked him, "Figaro, you know what I wished?"  
The little kitten wearily shook his head, and Jiminy Cricket looked down at the two humans. Maria asked Gepetto, "What did you wish for, Papa?"  
Gepetto smiled and softly told Maria and Figaro, "I wished that my little Pinocchio might be a real boy!"  
Maria smiled and asked, "You want to know my wish?" She then leaned in towards Gepetto's ear and whispered, "I wished that I could be a singer like Mama was."  
"Oh, that's a good wish!" Gepetto replied softly. As Maria went back to bed, Gepetto laid down underneath his sheets and told Figaro, "Wouldn't that be nice? Just think! A real boy." He petted the kitten for a few minutes.  
Up on the shelf, Jiminy yawned, "A very lovely thought. But not at all practical!" He then settled himself back into a sleeping position.  
Down below, Gepetto yawned as he finished petting Figaro and drifted off to sleep, "A real… boy." Figaro looked around and saw the old man snoring soundly, so the little kitten decided to spend the night sleeping next to his master.

In the meantime, Jiminy Cricket was awakened by the sound of clocks ticking. He looked and saw an owl clock ticking with moving eyes; Jiminy's eyes began to tick in the same direction as the owl's eyes! Next, he saw two clock pendulums moving to the same ticking beat; his eyes moved like those pendulums, too! Then, the cricket saw two other pendulums moving – only one of them was ticking faster than the other; yet again, his eyes moved along with those pendulums, too! Then, Jiminy looked up and saw an hourglass with grains of sand slowly and noisily falling to the bottom half. Jiminy tried cancelling out the noise with his hat, but then he was bothered by Gepetto's loud snoring! Next thing anyone knew, the cricket was bothered by Cleo's bubbly breathing underwater! Eventually, Jiminy couldn't take anymore, so he shouted, " **QUIET!** "  
All the noise stopped – the clocks ticking, the snoring, and the bubbly breathing. However, little Maria was woken up by Jiminy's yell. She sat up in bed with alarm and asked softly, "Who said that?"  
Jiminy's look of annoyance softened when he heard the girl's voice. "Oh! I apologize for that outburst, young lady," he said sheepishly.  
Maria got out of bed and asked, "Where are you?"  
"Up here – on the shelf!" answered Jiminy.  
While walking around, Maria looked up and saw the little cricket looking at her. "A cricket?" she asked with a raised brow.  
"Not just any cricket," Jiminy answered with a smile, "I'm Jiminy Cricket."  
Maria gave an unsure look and asked him, "How did you get in here, Mr. Cricket?"  
"Oh, it's a long story," explained Jiminy, "But I was just hopping along earlier this evening, and I saw a little light in your father's workshop. I was cold…"  
"Oh, that man isn't really my father," Maria giggled, "He's my godfather. My real father disappeared many months ago, and hasn't returned. But until he comes back, I'm calling Mr. Gepetto my papa."  
"Oh, that's nice," said Jiminy, "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some…" his sentence was cut off when he heard a shrill, soft noise from outside. "Now what's up?" he asked with a frown.  
Maria looked out the window and saw a bright light heading towards the room; terrified, she ran off to hide behind a wall.  
As the light became brighter and bigger, Jiminy grabbed his belongings and asked, "Hey, what's goin' on here?!" He then ran to hide inside a wooden pipe as the light transformed into the Blue Fairy.

Author's Note: The song "Evening Prayer" is from the opera "Hansel and Gretel" ((c) Humperdinck)


	6. Chapter 6

**Six - A Granted Wish and a Riddle**

The Blue Fairy looked around the room with a smile, while Maria shyly stuck her head out from her hiding place; Jiminy Cricket also peeked out from inside the wooden pipe and softly smiled, "As I live and breathe, a fairy! Mmmm-mmm!"  
The Blue Fairy turned her head and saw Maria hiding behind a wall. The Fairy smiled and softly said, "Do not be frightened, Maria. I have heard Gepetto's wish, as well as your own. Please come out."  
Maria slowly stepped forward from the wall and asked, "Wh-who are you?"  
The Fairy said, "I am the Blue Fairy. Years ago, I helped your father find love with your mother. Now I am here to help you and Gepetto. I have heard your wishes, and I can help to grant them." Maria gave a big smile as the Blue Fairy then went over to the foot of Gepetto's bed and said softly, "Good Gepetto, you have given so much happiness to others, you deserve to have your wish come true!" She then walked over to where Pinocchio was, waved her wand, and said as she tapped the puppet with it, "Little puppet made of pine, wake! The gift of life is thine!"  
Maria watched with awe and wonder as light shone onto Pinocchio. Suddenly, the puppet's strings disappeared, and he began to move his body a little bit!

As Pinocchio rubbed his eyes, Jiminy Cricket saw the ordeal and said amazement, "Phew! What they can't do these days!"  
Meanwhile Pinocchio looked at his hands and said, "I can move!" The marionette then covered his mouth before exclaiming with delight, "I can talk!" The blue fairy chuckled as Pinocchio stood up and tried walking by crying out, "I can walk!" However, because he was brought to life only a few minutes ago, the puppet fell back down on his backside.  
"Yes, Pinocchio," said the Blue Fairy, "I've given you life."  
"Why?" Pinocchio asked.  
"Because tonight, Gepetto wished for a real boy," the Blue Fairy replied with a smile.  
"Am I a real boy?"  
"No, Pinocchio," the Fairy said, "To make Gepetto's wish come true will be entirely up to you and Maria, here."  
"Up to me?" the puppet asked, "And what's a Maria?"  
"That's me," Maria said as she stepped forward towards the puppet, "I'm kinda like your big sister!"  
"That's right," the Blue Fairy said. She turned to Pinocchio and continued, "Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish; and someday, you will be a real boy!"  
"A real boy!" Pinocchio cried with excitement.  
Jiminy Cricket, who was watching from the shelf above, commented with a smile, "That will be easy!"

Meanwhile, the Fairy was telling Pinocchio, "You must learn to choose between right and wrong, and Maria will help you."  
"Right? Wrong?" Pinocchio questioned as he looked at his hands, "But how will I know?"  
"How will he know?" Jiminy said to himself with slight annoyance.  
"You'll see in time, silly!" Maria chuckled.  
"Yes," said the Blue Fairy, "And your conscience will tell you."  
"What are conscience?" Pinocchio asked.  
"What are conscience?" Jiminy repeated. Just when Maria was about to answer for her puppet brother, the cricket floated down with his umbrella and said, "I'll tell ya! A conscience is that still, small voice that people won't listen to!" After landing by Pinocchio, the cricket pulled a box of matches over to stand on. "That's just the trouble with the world today," he continued.  
"Are you my conscience?" Pinocchio asked him.  
"Who, me?" Jiminy asked.  
Maria laughed and said, "Silly Pinocchio, that's a cricket! It's a kind of bug!"  
The Blue Fairy also chuckled and leaned over to ask Jiminy, "Would you like to be Pinocchio's conscience?"  
The cricket looked up at the fairy and stammered as he blushed, "Well, I, uh, um, I… uh-huh."  
The Fairy laughed and said, "Very well. What is your name?"  
Jiminy replied as he moved his hat, "Oh, uh, Cricket's the name – Jiminy Cricket!"  
"Kneel, Mr. Cricket!" the Fairy said with a smile.  
Jiminy was puzzled at first, but then he kneeled as if he were about to be knighted. "No tricks, now," he said.

The Blue Fairy held up her wand and then gently tapped Jiminy Cricket as she said, "I dub you Pinocchio's conscience. Lord high keeper in the knowledge of right and wrong, counselor in moments of temptation, and guide among the straight and narrow path. Arise, Sir Jiminy Cricket!"  
The cricket stood up and saw that he was wearing a brand new outfit – he now wore a black dress jacket, an orange vest over a white shirt and yellow tie, light brown slacks, and black shoes with yellow spats; he also had a brand new blue top hat, and new umbrella. "Well!" he said with a chuckle, "My, my! Mmmm, say! That's pretty swell!"  
Maria added, "Oh, you look very dashing for a cricket, Jiminy!" She turned to the Blue Fairy and asked, "I don't mean to sound rude, Miss Fairy, but what about my wish?"  
The Blue Fairy smiled and said, "Oh, Maria, I'm afraid your wish can be achieved only if you help Pinocchio achieve Gepetto's wish, first. You must prove to be a responsible, caring, and brave older sister for Pinocchio, and someday your wish will come true."  
"What about my real papa?" Maria added with concern, "Is he still alive somewhere or is he dead?"  
The Fairy thought for a moment, and then said with a smile, "You will find him. I will give you a riddle as clue. Now listen carefully – make your loved ones proud; find the sign; you will see the answer in a matter of time."  
"Make my… sign?" Maria wondered.  
The Blue Fairy said, "One more time. Make your loved ones proud; find the sign; you will see the answer in time."  
Jiminy Cricket was still admiring his clothes when he said to the Fairy, "Gee, thanks. But uh, don't I get a badge or something?"  
"Well, we'll see!" said the Blue Fairy.  
"You mean, maybe you will?" Jiminy asked with enthusiasm.  
"I should wonder!"  
The cricket slapped his fist and requested, "Make it a gold one?"  
"Maybe," the Blue Fairy said. She turned to Pinocchio and said, "Now remember, Pinocchio, be a good boy. And always let your sister – and your conscience be your guide!" As she said those last few words, the Fairy stepped back and disappeared in a cloud of sparkles!  
"Goodbye, my lady!" Jiminy called softly.  
"Goodbye," Pinocchio repeated with a wave.

Maria, meanwhile, was still studying the Blue Fairy's riddle on how to find her father, Marco. "Make loved ones proud," she thought, "Find the sign… what sign? This doesn't make any sense." But then she remembered about how proud Marco – and Gepetto – would be if she helped Pinocchio along by being responsible, brave, and caring. "I'm gonna become somebody important," she told herself, "I don't know how, but I am!" She then began to sing:

 _Proud of your girl_  
 _I'll make you proud of your girl_  
 _Believe me, shy as I've been, Papa_  
 _You're in for a pleasant surprise!_

She walked over to a window and continued:

 _I've wasted time_  
 _I've wasted me_  
 _So say I'm slow for my age_  
 _A late bloomer, okay_  
 _I agree._

As she looked out at the stars, Maria imagined herself wearing a blue dress with white trimming, a teal blue headband with a star in the center, a pearl necklace, blue flat shoes, and her hair done in a low bun. She danced among the stars as she sang:

 _That I've been one frightened kid_  
 _Some gal, some fear, but some joy_  
 _But I'll get over this tearing up_  
 _Messing up, screwing up times!_

She then envisioned Marco coming over to her and embracing her with a hug.

 _You'll see, Papa, now comes the better part_  
 _Someone's gonna make good_  
 _Cross my silly heart!_  
 _Make good and finally make you_  
 _Proud of your girl!_

Marco danced with his daughter a little bit as Maria kept singing:

 _Tell me that I've been a mouse and a loafer_  
 _You won't get a fight here, no sir!_  
 _Say I'm a goldbrick, a goof-off, a low-down_  
 _But that couldn't be all that I am!_

Marco led his daughter to a bridge made out of a crescent moon, and a river of clouds flowed under it.

 _Water flows under the bridge_  
 _Let it pass, let it go_  
 _There's no good reason_  
 _That you should believe me_  
 _Not yet, I know!_

Marco and Maria went up the "bridge," and then slid down it, landing on a silver star.

 _But someday and soon_  
 _I'll make you proud of your girl_  
 _Though I can't make myself taller_  
 _Or smarter, or pretty, or wise_  
 _I'll do my best, what else can I do?_

Marco was about to kiss his daughter on the forehead when he disappeared, and we then go back to inside Gepetto's workshop, where Maria put her head on her hand and finished the song;

 _Since I wasn't born perfect_  
 _Like Pinocchio or you_  
 _Papa, I will try to_  
 _Try hard to make you_  
 _Proud of your girl._

Maria hung her head away from the window, but then she went back over to check on Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket.

Author's Note: The song "Proud of Your Boy/Girl" is from Aladdin: The Musical ((c) Disney)


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven - Whistling**

Jiminy Cricket was looking at his reflection in a red, shiny pot while humming a cheerful little tune. "Not bad, says I," Jiminy told himself as Pinocchio looked at his own reflection in the pot.  
Maria leaned over to see the two with a smile and asked, "Jiminy, your task?"  
"Oh!" Jiminy chuckled as he hopped onto a matchbox towards Pinocchio, "Almost forgot about you! Well, Pinoke, maybe you and I better have a little heart-to-heart talk? And how about you too, Maria?"  
"Why? Pinocchio asked as he looked at the cricket.  
"Well," said Jiminy, "You wanna be a real boy, don't you?"  
"Uh-huh," answered Pinocchio.  
"And you wanna be a superstar sister, too, right, Maria?" Jiminy asked.  
"Oh yes," said Maria.  
Jiminy hopped off the matchbox and told Pinocchio, "Sit down, son!" Pinocchio sat down on his seat with a slight thud; Maria giggled at the sight. Jiminy sat back down on the matchbox and told Pinocchio and Maria, "Now you see, the world is full of temptations."  
"Temptations?" Pinocchio asked.  
"Yep, temptations!" Jiminy explained, "They're the wrong things that seem right at the time, but uh, even though the right things may s-seem wrong sometimes, sometimes the wrong things maybe right at the wrong time, or vice versa!" He let out a nervous chuckle before clearing his throat and asking, "Understand?"  
Pinocchio smiled for a bit, but then he shook his head and answered, "Uh-uh."  
Maria said with a smile, "Maybe things will make more sense later when Signore Gepetto is awake."  
"Signore Gepetto?" Pinocchio asked.  
"The old man sleeping over there," Maria said as she pointed to Gepetto sleeping in his bed.

As Jiminy did a face palm at Pinocchio not understanding his "explanation" and Maria's suggestion to listen to Gepetto instead of the cricket, Pinocchio beamed, "But I'm gonna do right!"  
"Atta boy, Pinoke!" Jiminy said with a smile as he hopped off the matchbox, "And you, Maria?"  
"Oh, I'll help Pinocchio out so I can achieve my own dream!" Maria beamed in.  
Jiminy hopped over to Pinocchio's foot as he said, "I'm gonna help you, too! And anytime you two need me, you know, just whistle – like this!" The cricket removed his hat and did a little whistle.  
"Like this?" Pinocchio asked. He tried whistling, too, but he only managed to blow some air.  
"No, no, try it again, Pinoke," Jiminy said.  
"Like this?" Pinocchio asked; he tried whistling again, but he only got air again.  
"No, son," said the cricket  
"Like this," Maria said as she whistled the same tune as Jiminy.  
"Maria's got it," Jiminy said to the puppet, "Now listen." He whistled a little tune. Pinocchio tried repeating until he managed to whistle the very last two notes. "That's it!" Pinocchio beamed, "Now let's sing it!" He did a little dance for the puppet and the human girl as he sang:

 _When you get in trouble_  
 _And you don't know right from wrong_  
 _Give a little whistle (whistles into his hat before covering it with his hand)_  
 _Give a little whistle (removes his hand to let the whistle's echo come out his hat)_  
 _When you meet temptation_  
 _And the urge is very strong_  
 _Give a little whistle (2x)_

Maria managed to whistle a little bit, and Pinocchio tried copying Jiminy's move of whistling into his hat, although he only managed to blow out some air. As the puppet looked inside his hat for the whistle, Jiminy kept singing:

 _Not just a little squeak_  
 _Pucker up and blow! (bows into a jug)_  
 _And if your whistle's weak, yell…_

"Jiminy Cricket!" Pinocchio guessed as he stood up with a smile.  
"That's right," Maria beamed.  
"Right!" added Jiminy as he danced on a violin's strings like a tightrope walker and kept singing:

 _Take the straight and narrow path_  
 _And if you start to slide_  
 _Give a little whistle (2x)_  
 _And always let your conscience be your guide!_

One of the strings then snapped at Jiminy, making him jump off onto a shelf, and then he used his umbrella like a trombone to hum his song. When he came to a wooden pipe, Jiminy made noises like he were dropping down (which eventually did before landing onto a sawblade). The cricket then whistled his song as he jumped up and down on the sawblade before landing on a cuckoo clock; Jiminy moved the minute hand and knocked the door with his umbrella, before leading a line of figurines representing a farmer, his wife, a cow, and a maiden ringing bells. As the clock figurines went into a different door, Jiminy sang as he admired the maiden figure:

 _Take the straight and narrow path_  
 _And if you start to slide_  
 _Give a little whistle_  
 _(tips his hat) Yoo-hoo!_  
 _Give a little whistle_  
 _Woo-hoo!_  
 _And always let your conscience be your guide!_

As Jiminy tried to follow the maiden, the door closed, making him bump into the door, and Maria giggled at the sight. Meanwhile, Pinocchio was walking on his shelf and sang, "And always let your conscience be your guide!" However, the little puppet wasn't looking where he was going, so he got his feet caught in some pails, and then bumped into a bunch of bottles!  
"Look out!" cried Jiminy.  
"Oh no!" Maria gasped as the falling bottles made noise. Meanwhile, Gepetto, Figaro, and Cleo woke up with surprise when they heard the crash!


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight - Gepetto Finds Pinocchio**

Gepetto, who had heard the crashing, sat up in bed and called out, "Who's there?"  
"It's me!" Pinocchio answered with a smile from underneath a table.  
"Oh, it's me," Gepetto murmured as he laid back down to sleep. However, he realized what he just heard and repeated, and sat back up, crying, "Huh? Maria, was that you?"  
Instead of answering him, Maria just snickered and got down on her knees, hiding beside the table that Pinocchio was under. She giggled at the puppet and put a finger to her lips, indicating that Pinocchio should remain quiet.  
Meanwhile, Gepetto looked in shock at the sight of Maria's bed being empty! "Shhh! Figaro, There is somebody in here," Gepetto whispered to the little kitten with fright as he got out of bed, "And I think they've got Maria as a hostage!" Figaro just hid behind his master's pillow while Jiminy Cricket peeked out from behind a book; Gepetto took his candle and lit it before he took a pistol from underneath his pillow. As the old man stepped away from his bed slowly and quietly, Figaro peeked out from the pillow and decided to follow his master. After walking a little bit, Figaro let out a nervous meow. Gepetto shushed him and whispered, "Careful now, Figaro. He might spring out at us anytime!" Eventually, Gepetto and Figaro came over to the table where Pinocchio and Maria were hiding.

Maria hid behind a pile of wood beside the worktable, while Pinocchio remained underneath with a grin. "He's in here somewhere," Gepetto whispered; up on a shelf, Jiminy put his hand over his mouth to prevent from giggling. Maria did the same thing.  
Just then, Pinocchio snuck up to Figaro and exclaimed, "Here I am!" Figaro jumped upward into Gepetto's nightgown, making the old man jump and shoot his pistol upward towards the ceiling. Jiminy moved out of the way just before the bullet came flying through the shelf!  
Maria, meanwhile, laughed as the clocks began to chime and make noise uncontrollably. Gepetto, who was sitting down beside his bed, saw what happened and gave her a stern look as he walked over to her. "Maria, what is all this?" he asked with humiliation and disgust, "Making me and Figaro believe that there were intruders in this workshop?"  
"But, Papa, it wasn't me!" Maria admitted with shock as she left her hiding place, "Look down at the ground!"  
Gepetto reluctantly looked down, and saw that Pinocchio was on the floor. Figaro meowed as he came over to the puppet, and then the old man followed and asked as he picked up the wooden boy, "Oh, Pinocchio, how did you get down here?"  
"I fell down," Pinocchio answered as Gepetto set him on the table.  
Gepetto adjusted Pinocchio a little bit as he asked, "Oh you did…" He then gasped with shock, "Oh! You're talking!"  
"Uh-huh," the wooden boy nodded with a smile.  
"No, no, no, no!" Gepetto cried with disbelief as he shook his head.  
"Yes, and I can move, too!" Pinocchio added as he waved his hands a bit.  
"Papa, it's true!" Maria added.  
"Oh, no, no, no!" Gepetto cried as he walked away, "You can't be, I'm dreaming in my sleep!"  
"Papa, you must believe!" Maria insisted.  
"Oh, wake me up!" Gepetto exclaimed as he ran round before reaching his wash basin, "Wake me up!" He then took the pitcher full of water, and poured it on top of his head! Figaro, who was underneath the old man the whole time, ended up getting soaked by some of the water, too!

After getting splashed, Gepetto shook his head, wiped his face, and turned to face Pinocchio and Maria as he said, "Now we'll see who's dreaming!"  
Maria just folded her arms and insisted, "Papa, I swear, this isn't a dream – it really happened!"  
Gepetto ignored her with disbelief and told Pinocchio, "Go on – say something!"  
Pinocchio smiled and then giggled, "Gee, you're funny! Do it again!"  
Gepetto gasped and said, "You DO talk!"  
"Yes," nodded Pinocchio, "The Blue Fairy came…"  
"The Blue Fairy?" asked Gepetto.  
"Yes, Papa!" Maria chimed in, "She also chose me to be Pinocchio's big sister, and to help him in order to fulfill my wish!"  
"Your wish?" Gepetto asked.  
"Yes," added Maria, "I also need to solve a riddle in order to see my real father again, but I think I can do that, too!"  
"Uh-huh," Pinocchio chimed in, "And I got a conscience!"  
"A conscience?" Gepetto questioned; up on the shelf, Jiminy happily pointed to himself, indicating that he was selected to be the little puppet's conscience.  
"And someday," Pinocchio continued, "I'm gonna be a real boy!"  
"And I'll be a singer!" Maria beamed.  
"A real boy!" Gepetto cried as he jumped with excitement. He picked up Pinocchio and beamed, "It's my wish – it's come true!" He then showed the puppet to Figaro and chuckled, "Figaro, look! He's alive! He can talk!" Gepetto lowered Pinocchio towards Figaro and told the wooden boy, "Say hello to Figaro!"  
"Hello to Figaro!" Pinocchio repeated as the little kitten backed away from him.  
"Oh, Figaro, don't be scared!" Maria smiled, "He's only a little boy – made from wood!" Figaro hesitated as Pinocchio held his hand over the kitten's head, and then Figaro gave a smile as he let Pinocchio pet him; Maria also gave a happy and tender grin.

Just then, Cleo, who wanted to see what all the excitement was about, jumped out of her bowl, and then back into it. "Oh, Cleo, I almost forgot!" exclaimed Gepetto when he saw the little goldfish. He then picked up Pinocchio and happily said, "Look, it's Pinocchio!"  
Figaro, who had been rubbing his head against Pinocchio's legs, fell over when Gepetto picked up the wooden boy, making the kitten frown. Maria came over and picked Figaro up while softly saying, "Oh, Figaro, it's okay. We're all a little excited tonight."  
Meanwhile, Gepetto held Pinocchio above Cleo's bowl and told him, "She's my little water baby. Isn't she cute?"  
Pinocchio swished his finger in the water and replied, "Yeah, cute!" Cleo was so ecstatic that she jumped out of her bowl to give Pinocchio a kiss on the lips! She did the same to Figaro, who rubbed his lips in disgust.

Gepetto then took Pinocchio and cheerfully laughed, "This calls for a celebration! Music!" He then turned on a few music boxes and encouraged Pinocchio, "You start one, Pinocchio!" Pinocchio saw a music box of some walruses playing musical instruments while being conducted by a seal; he pressed the button and music began playing! Maria saw a music box that resembled a saint blowing a trumpet, and pressed the button on that one, too. Then, she joined Gepetto and Pinocchio, and the three of them danced happily. Figaro and Cleo watched the three with happy looks on their faces.  
Meanwhile, Jiminy Cricket saw a music box consisting of a man and a woman dancing around. "Oooh, a party!" the cricket said with a smile. As the two figures joined together to dance, Jiminy tapped the man figure and asked, "Mind if I cut in?" When the two figures broke apart from each other, Jiminy took the woman and danced with her; he moved his brows up and down and asked, "How about sitting out the next one, babe?" Before Jiminy knew it, the two figures came together again, and he was trapped between the man and the woman! "Hey!" he cried, "Whoa! Let me out! Let me out!" At his last words, the figures came apart and Jiminy fell on his seat.

In the meantime, Gepetto was playing an accordion while Pinocchio danced with Figaro, and Maria pretended to be a dancing gypsy. Gepetto came over to Cleo's bowl and cried as he twirled his finger in the water, "Come, Cleo! Join the party! Dance!" Cleo twirled around with the little whirlpool and smiled.  
Pinocchio, on the other hand, had decided to look around. He saw a burning candle and said, "Oooh, nice!"  
While Gepetto was picking some toys up, Maria saw Pinocchio near the burning candle and gave a look of fear; she went over to him and said, "Pinocchio, don't touch that!"  
Pinocchio put two of his fingers in the flame before bringing them back; he looked at Maria and said, "Oh, hi, Maria! Look what I found!"  
"Yes, I see," said Maria, "But that's fire, and it can hurt you!"  
Pinocchio pinched at the flames again and said, "It doesn't seem to hurt me!" Maria just did a face palm.

Meanwhile, Gepetto was carrying an armload of toys when Pinocchio cried out, "Look, pretty!" The little wooden boy held up a finger, which had flames on it!"  
"I tried telling him, Papa, but he wouldn't listen!" Maria said with her arms crossed.  
Gepetto saw what was happening, dropped the toys, and yelled, "Oh, help!" He picked up Pinocchio and tried blowing the flames out, but it was no use! The old man ran around in fear while crying out for water; he accidentally stepped on Figaro's tail, making the kitten yelp and make a sound like a fire engine!  
Jiminy held up his top hat, which was full of water, and cried, "Here it is! Here's some water! Here's water…" His sentence was cut off when he tripped over a pencil and fell, dunking his face into the water-filled hat by accident!  
Maria, meanwhile, suggested to Gepetto, "Try the fishbowl! I'm sure Cleo wouldn't mind helping Pinocchio!"  
Gepetto took the girl's advice, and then dunked Pinocchio's finger into Cleo's fishbowl. The water became all smoky black; Gepetto rubbed Pinocchio's finger and said, "That was close! Maybe we'd better go to bed before something else happens?"  
As everyone went back to bed, Cleo reached the surface of her bowl and began coughing out black smoke rings.


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine - Preparing for School**

After the event-filled night, everyone in Gepetto's workshop was getting ready to go back to sleep. Jiminy Cricket removed his new jacket, hat and shoes as he sleepily said to himself, "Little man, you've had a busy night." The cricket then made a bed out of a box of matches, laid down, pulled the opening close, and drifted off to sleep with a few yawns.  
Down below, Maria was back in her own bed while Gepetto and Pinocchio were lying down together in the old man's bed; Pinocchio was wearing a white nightgown and a red cap just like Gepetto. "Now close your eyes and go to sleep," said Gepetto after he put the flame in his candle out.  
"Why?" Pinocchio asked with wide eyes.  
"Everybody has to sleep," Gepetto answered, "Maria goes to sleep…" Maria folded her arms and gave a funny to her "brother" as Gepetto continued, "Figaro goes to sleep…" Figaro frowned and rolled over his master's bed. "And Cleo," Gepetto kept going on, "And besides, tomorrow you and Maria have got to go to school."  
"Why?" asked Pinocchio. Maria just gave an annoyed looked and rolled over to her side, trying to sleep.  
"Oh, to learn things and get smart," Gepetto answered Pinocchio's question as he started drifting off to sleep.  
"Why?" Pinocchio asked again.  
"Because," Gepetto mumbled as he went to sleep.  
"Oh," said Pinocchio.  
In her bed, Maria opened one eye and whispered, "Go to sleep, little brother."  
Pinocchio yawned and then decided to go to sleep.

The next morning, the sound of church bells filled the village as doves flew around the sky. In the streets, people were preparing for their day by opening their shops and tending their animals; children were happily running about, getting ready for another day at school. At Gepetto's workshop, Maria (who wasn't wearing her apron) opened the door, and she, Pinocchio, and Figaro stepped out excitedly. Pinocchio hopped around to a good look around and saw the children walking along through the streets. Gepetto, however, was having no luck at trying to fit a black vest onto Pinocchio. "Look, Father, look!" Pinocchio cried out.  
"Hey now, stand still now!" said Gepetto.  
"What are those?" Pinocchio asked  
Gepetto looked up and said, "Oh, those! They're your schoolmates – girls and boys now, get in…"  
"Real boys?" Pinocchio asked with a grin.  
"Yes," said Maria with a smile.  
"Yes, but hurry now!" Gepetto said as he finally managed to put the vest on Pinocchio. As Pinocchio started running off, Gepetto called for him to wait. The old man took out a red apple, shined it on his sleeve, and said as he gave it to Pinocchio, "Here's an apple for your teacher. Now turn around and let me look you over!"  
Pinocchio kept his head in place as he moved his body around; Maria laughed and said, "You are so clever, Pinocchio!" She picked up her school bag and softly said with a small smile, "It'll be a shame you won't do that when you're a real boy.  
Figaro, meanwhile, rubbed the chuckling Gepetto on the leg, motioning him to give Pinocchio his school book. Gepetto picked up the book and gave it to Pinocchio and said, "Here. Run along now, you two." Pinocchio and Maria happily skipped along and Figaro followed. Gepetto laughed and said, "Wait, wait! Come back here, Figaro!"  
Maria saw the kitten as she looked back and giggled, "Figaro, you silly! I'm sorry, but you have to stay home!"  
Gepetto, meanwhile, picked up the kitten and told him, "School is not for you!"  
"Goodbye, Father!" Pinocchio called out as he skipped along.  
"Arriverderci, Papa!" Maria called.  
"Goodbye," Gepetto waved, "Hurry back!" As the two children hopped along merrily, Gepetto sang a merry little tune as he and Figaro went back into the workshop.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ten - A Fox and A Cat**

While the children were on their way to school, two anthropomorphic animals were wandering the dark parts of town. One of them was a red fox wearing a green jacket with matching pants, a blue cloak, and a gray top hat; the other animal was a brown and tan cat wearing a lavender shirt with matching pants, a yellow cloak, and a tiny light blue top hat. The fox's real name was J. Worthington Fowlfellow, but everyone who came across him only knew him as "Honest John;" his feline sidekick was named Gideon, and he never spoke a word.  
"Ah, Gideon, listen!" Fowlfellow said as he and Gideon walked into the sunlight, "The merry laughter of innocent children winding their way to school! Thirsty little minds rushing to the fountain of knowledge!" Chuckling, he picked up a cigar on the ground with his cane and continued, "School. A noble institution! What would this stupid world be without…" Fowlfellow struck a match to light his cigar, but then he paused when he saw a poster upon a wall. The poster had a picture of a man carrying puppets on strings, and words that read **_The Great Stromboli: Marionette Show_**. "Well, well, well!" the fox said, "Stromboli! So that old rascal's back in town, eh?" Fowlfellow laughed and said to Gideon, "Remember, Gideon, the time I tied strings on you and nearly passed you off as a puppet?"  
Gideon just moved his head and shrugged off the memory as Fowlfellow continued, "We nearly put one over on that old gypsy that time!" As the fox and cat walked along, Maria and Pinocchio kept happily skipping along to school.

As he laughed, Fowlfellow saw the two children and commented, "A little girl with a wooden boy!" He and Gideon were about to continue on when the fox stopped with surprise and said, "A wooden boy?!" He and Gideon ran to behind a corner and the fox whispered, "Look here, Giddy, look! It's amazing! A live puppet without strings! A thing like that ought to be worth a fortune to someone…" He then pondered about who would want Pinocchio to make money and wondered, "Now let me see… That's it! Stromboli!" He pointed to the poster of Stromboli and thought, "Why that old faker would give his…" Fowlfellow turned to Gideon and whispered, "If we play our cards right, we'll be on Easy Street, or my name isn't Honest John!" Gideon happily nodded as Fowlfellow quickly moved and whispered, "Quick! We'll let him and that girl off!" As the cat kept nodding, the fox used his cane to lure his friend along with him.

As Pinocchio and Maria hopped along beside a stone wall, Fowlfellow and Gideon (who hopped up and down to see things) moved along the other side, ready to distract Pinocchio and Maria. The wooden boy and the human girl skipped along as the fox and the cat hid behind their side of the wall by an opening; however, they were too late to drop a flower pot upon one of the children's head. Instead, Gideon accidentally dropped the pot on the ground, and Fowlfellow lured him away. When he saw the Maria and Pinocchio were going to turn a corner of the wall, Fowlfellow stopped and shushed to Gideon (thinking he was behind him), and whispered, "Now's our…" His sentence was cut off when he didn't see Gideon behind, but in front of him, holding a wooden mallet to knock one of the children out. "No, no, stupid!" Fowlfellow frowned at the cat as he took the mallet and bonked Gideon on the head with it, "Don't be crude!" Gideon gave a hiccup as Fowlfellow whispered, "Let me handle this. Here they come!" The fox then stood against the wall by his back as he held his cane out for the children to trip on, and told Gideon, "Ah, yes, Giddy! As I was saying to the duchess only yesterday…"  
His sentence was cut off when Pinocchio tripped over the cane on cue, and Maria became shocked. "Oh, are you okay, little brother?" she asked as she picked up his schoolbook.  
"Oh, how clumsy of me!" Fowlfellow said with fake sympathy as he pushed Maria and Gideon aside to help Pinocchio, "Oh, my, my, my!" Gideon got out a little brush to dust Pinocchio's backside from dust as the fox continued, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry! Oh, I do hope you're not injured!"  
Gideon check Pinocchio's back trouser pocket for any money to steal, but Maria gave him a glare, knowing right away not to trust any of the animals. "I'm alright," Pinocchio told the fox as Fowlfellow knocked Gideon on the head to keep his mind out of Pinocchio's pockets.  
"Oh, splendid!" said Fowlfellow to Pinocchio.  
"And what do you think you're doing with my brother?" Maria asked Fowlfellow with her hands on her hips.  
Fowlfellow looked at Maria and stated, "Why, I was just helping…" He then gasped, "Wait! This wooden boy is your brother?"  
"He is," Maria stated with an unimpressed look as she tried to give Pinocchio back his schoolbook; instead, Fowlfellow snatched it from her to look at it as he ate Pinocchio's apple.

As he "read" the schoolbook, Fowlfellow wondered aloud to Pinocchio, "Well, well, quite a scholar, I see!" He held the book upside down and showed it to Gideon and chuckled, "Look, Giddy! A man of letters!" Fowlfellow then handed the book to Pinocchio and told him, "Here's your book."  
"Come on, Pinocchio," Maria told her "brother."  
"We're going to school!" Pinocchio told the fox and the cat.  
"School?" Fowlfellow said as he pulled Pinocchio back with his cane, "School? Ah yes, then you haven't heard of the easy road to success?"  
"Uh-uh," Pinocchio said as he shook his head.  
"Pinocchio," Maria whispered, "There's something about this fox…"  
"No, don't listen to her," Fowlfellow told Pinocchio, "I'm speaking, my boy, of the theater!" He pulled his cape over his shoulder to make a dramatic look; Pinocchio was impressed while Maria wasn't quite sure. "Here's your apple," the fox said as he handed Pinocchio what was left of the apple (a core). Pinocchio and Maria both gave a look of disgust at the eaten apple as Fowlfellow gave details about life as an actor or singer, "Bright lights, music, applause, fame!" He moved his eyebrows up and down at the last word.  
"Fame?" Pinocchio wondered as he tried to move his brows up and down.  
"Fame?" Maria thought to herself, "Maybe not so bad, after all… Mama was a famous singer, so why can't I be one, too? Then I'd really make Gepetto and my real Papa proud!"  
"Yes!" Fowlfellow told Pinocchio with a grin, "And with that personality, that profile, that physique!" He turned over to Gideon and snickered, "Why, he's a natural born actor, and she could be a great actress, too! Eh, Giddy?" Gideon dopily nodded.

Maria cleared her throat at Pinocchio, and then the wooden boy said to the fox, "Well, my big sister and I are going too…"  
"Straight to the top!" Fowlfellow said as he pulled Pinocchio over to him again, "Why, I can see your names in lights! Lights six feet high! Uh, what are your names?"  
Maria raised a brow and said, "My name is Maria."  
"And I'm Pinocchio!" Pinocchio added.  
"Maria!" Fowlfellow cried with excitement, "M-A-R-I-A! And Pinocchio! P-I-N-uh, O-U, P-I…" He got confused about how to spell the puppet's name, but the fox shrugged it off and chuckled, "We're wasting precious time! Come, you two! We're on to the theater!" Fowlfellow placed one arm around Pinocchio, and the other around Maria as they walked and he sang:

 _Hi-diddle-dee-dee!_  
 _An actor's life for me!_  
 _A high silk hat and a silver cane!_  
 _A watch of gold with a diamond chain!_  
 _Hi-diddle-dee-day!_  
 _An actor's life is gay!_  
 _It's great to be a celebrity!_  
 _An actor's life for me!_  
 _Ta-dum-diddle-dee-dum_  
 _Ti-dee-um-dum-dee-dum_  
 _Ta-dum-dee-diddle-dee-dum_  
 _Ta-dum-ta-dum! (2x)_  
 _Hi-diddle-dee-di!_  
 _Ta-dee-de-dum-ta-dee!_  
 _Hi-diddle-dee-dum!_  
 _An actor's life is fun!_

As the fox, cat, and children paraded through the streets, a familiar cricket was rushing to get dressed as he ran to find Pinocchio and Maria. "Phew!" Jiminy breathed as he struggled to get dressed, "Fine conscience I turned out to be – late the first day! Oh well, they can't get in much trouble between here and school." As he finished dressing and getting things in place, Jiminy paused to catch his breath. He noticed a familiar quartet of singers and cried, "Oh boy! A parade!" As the cricket marched to the music, he stopped in shock when he heard some familiar young voices singing along!

 **Fowlfellow:** _An actor's life for me!_  
 _Pinocchio and Maria: Hi-diddle-dee-dee!_  
 _An actor's/singer's life for me!_

"Huh?" Jiminy cried when he looked to see Maria and Pinocchio walking and singing along with a couple of strangers.

 **Fowlfellow:** _A waxed mustache and a beaver coat!_  
 _A pony cart and a billy-goat!_

"Why's it's Maria and Pinoke!" Jiminy thought to himself before calling to them, "Hey! Where are you going? As the fox kept singing, Jiminy ran to catch up with the party as he called, "Wait! Halt! Hold on there! Pinoke! Maria!" He then ran over to Fowlfellow's tail, hopped onto it, and then hopped up his back to the top of his hat. "Hey, Pinoke! Maria!" Jiminy whispered before he shouted, "Hey!"  
The cricket then whistled very loudly, and the fox stopped singing and asked, "What was that?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Eleven - Temptation is Hard to Resist!**

Maria and Pinocchio looked at the top of J. Worthington "Honest John" Fowlfellow's top hat, and Pinocchio cried out with glee, "Oh, it's Jiminy! Whacha doing up there?"  
Fowlfellow, not understanding what was going on, looked around and wondered, "Huh? Who? Wh-what? Jiminy? Where?" Up on top of the fox's hat, Jiminy Cricket smirked at Gideon, and then made a shushing sound. "Why, my boy!" Fowlfellow chuckled, "You must be seeing things!"  
"No, there's a real cricket!" Maria insisted.  
"Yeah," added Pinocchio, "That's my conscience! He…"  
In the meantime, Gideon pulled out a wooden mallet from his coat as Fowlfellow assured Pinocchio, "Now, now, now! Just calm down. Why, there's nothing up there to be afraid of!" At his last words, Jiminy hopped off of the fox's hat moments before Gideon whacked his mallet onto Fowlfellow's head! The fox angrily muffled underneath his hat as Gideon looked at the clean mallet before looking at his friend, trying to get his hat off!

Meanwhile, Jiminy had made his way to a flower, and then softly called, "Psst! Pinoke, Maria!" He whistled and got Pinocchio and Maria's attention to follow his voice. The girl and wooden boy looked around until Jiminy called out, "Over here! Over here!" They looked at the flower that Jiminy was hiding in and ran over to it.  
"Oh, Jiminy! I'm gonna be an actor!" Pinocchio proclaimed.  
"And I've decided to be a singer!" added Maria.  
"All right, you two, take it easy now," Jiminy said calmly. Maria and Pinocchio got a closer look at him as he said, "Remember what I said about temptation?"  
"Uh-huh," nodded Pinocchio.  
"Yeah," added Maria.  
"Well, that's him," Jiminy said as he pointed to Fowlfellow.  
"Oh, no, Jiminy!" said Pinocchio as he shook his head, "That's Mr. Honest John!"  
"I don't see anything dangerous about him, either!" added Maria.  
"Honest John?!" Jiminy repeated with shock.

In the meantime, Gideon wondered what he should to help Fowlfellow, so he opened the top of the hat, only to hear an angry " _GET ME OUTTA_ _HERE!_ " right in his face! The cat backed away in shock, but he then grabbed a cane, climbed onto the fox's back, and then tried moving that hat off with the cane. Gideon got his mallet as he kept the cane onto Fowlfellow's hat, and then whacked the fox on the head with it! The impact sent Fowlfellow shoot backward into a pond! The fox groaned as he slid into the water.

Back where Jiminy was counseling the children, the cricket advised them what to do by saying, "All right then. Here's what we'll tell them. You two can't go to the theater, say thank you just the same, you're sorry, but you have to go to school."  
"Mmm-hmm," Pinocchio nodded.  
"Okay," added Maria.  
"Oh, Pinocchio! Maria!" a familiar voice called out. Jiminy dove into the flower to hide as Pinocchio and Maria turned their heads to see who was calling their name. It was Fowlfellow, soaking wet with Gideon following him. "Oh, Pinocchio! Maria!" the fox kept calling, "Woo-hoo!"  
"Here they come, kids," Jiminy whispered to the children as he peeked out from the flower's petals, "Now you tell him!"  
"Woo-hoo!" the fox called, "Oh, little boy! Little girl!" He turned around and saw the children as he pointed his cane and cried, "Ah-ha! Now where were we? Onto the theater!"  
Unable to resist temptation, Pinocchio and Maria happily decided to go along with the fox and cat. "Goodbye, Jiminy!" Pinocchio called.  
"Goodbye!" Maria called out.  
Jiminy, who was listening, wondered, "Goodbye?" He looked up and gasped, "Goodbye?!" The fox and children sang their song as they went away, and Jiminy tried calling, "Hey, Pinoke! Maria! You can't…" The cricket then wondered what to do and asked himself, "What'll I do? I know! I'll go tell their father!" As he ran down the flower stem and towards the location of the workshop, he stopped himself and then stated, "No! I gotta be snitchy! I'll go after them myself!" With that, the cricket ran off in the direction that Maria, Pinocchio, and the animals were heading.


	12. Chapter 12

**Twelve - Stromboli's Show**

Later that evening, a crowd of people gathered around a gypsy's caravan, and a large, male gypsy wearing green and red announced, "Ladies and gentlemen! To conclude the performance of this great show, Stromboli, the master showman – that's me…" He mumbled something in Italian before continuing, "And the special permission of the management – that's me, too!" He said another Italian phrase under his breath before he continued, "Is presenting something you will absolutely refuse to believe!"  
In the meantime, Jiminy Cricket had climbed up a lamppost, and was fighting off a few fireflies as he got to the light. When the fireflies disappeared, the cricket looked down at the mumbling crowd and remarked, "Wow! Looks like a sell-out!"  
Stromboli kept announcing, "Introducing the only marionette who can sing and dance absolutely without the ends of strings!" He muttered another Italian phrase before he added, "We will also feature a lovely, aspiring little girl who claims to have the voice of an angel!" The gypsy did a quick prayer in Italian before he finished, "But first, I give you the one and only Pinocchio!"

The crowd clapped and cheered, while Jiminy Cricket frowned and scoffed, "Hmph! What a build-up!"  
Below, Stromboli conducted his band to play some music, and some marionettes of trumpeters appeared as the curtain rose, and a familiar wooden boy was introduced. Pinocchio moved around a little bit before going down singing as he went down some steps:

 _I've got no strings_  
 _To hold me down…_

His singing was cut off when he tripped and fell forward down the stairs! When he landed, Pinocchio got his nose stuck in a wooden hole in the stage, and everyone laughed!  
Up on the lamppost, Jiminy commented with disappointment, "Go ahead! Make a fool of yourself! Then maybe you'll listen to your conscience?"  
At the performance, Stromboli gave an angry, high-pitched squeal as he took Pinocchio and cursed in Italian before calming down and gently placing the little puppet back on his feet. The show went on as Pinocchio sang:

 _I've got no strings_  
 _To hold me down_  
 _To make me fret_  
 _Or make me frown!_  
 _I had strings_  
 _But now you see_  
 _There are no strings on me!_

Jiminy Cricket kept looking at his wooden friend with disgust and disappointment as Pinocchio danced onstage and kept singing:

 _Hi-ho, the merry-o!_  
 _That's only way to be!_  
 _I want the world to know_  
 _Nothing ever worries me!_

From behind the caravan, Maria heard Pinocchio singing and gave a happy smile. Meanwhile, Stromboli told the audience an Italian expression and added with a laugh, "What I tell you, eh?"

 _I've got no strings_  
 _So I have fun!_  
 _I'm not tied up_  
 _To anyone_  
 _They have strings_  
 _But you can see_  
 _There are no strings on me!_

The background scenery changed to a rural scene from the Netherlands, and a Dutch girl puppet came down to Pinocchio and sang:

 _You've got no strings_  
 _Your arms is free_  
 _To love me by_  
 _The Zuider Zee!_  
 _Ja, ja, ja!_  
 _If you would woo_  
 _I'd boost my strings for you!_

More Dutch girl puppets appeared and did a traditional Dutch dance for Pinocchio. The wooden boy tried copying them, but he ended up being bumped about!  
The scenery then became an image of a market from Paris, France, and a French girl puppet appeared to Pinocchio and sang:

 _You've got no strings!_  
 _Comme-ci, comme-ca!_  
 _Your savoire-faire_  
 _Is ooh-la-la!_  
 _I've got strings_  
 _But entre nous!_  
 _I'd cut my strings for you!_

More French girl puppets appeared in front of Pinocchio and danced the can-can. Jiminy Cricket looked down, and then grabbed a pair of eyeglasses as he gasped at the girls with excitement. Soon, the can-can ended and the scene changed to an image of the Red Square in Russia. A Russian girl puppet came down and sang:

 _Down where the Volga flows_  
 _There's a Russian rendezvous_  
 _Where me and Ivan goes_  
 _But I'd rather go with you!_  
 _Hey!_

Puppets of Russian male Cossacks came down and did a dance while shouting out, "Hey!"  
Pinocchio tried copying the moves, and even shouted, "Hey!" himself! The Russian puppets then twirled around, and by the time the dance was over, Pinocchio was caught up in the other puppets and sang out, "There are no strings on me!"  
The crowd laughed and applauded as Pinocchio's act ended. The Russian puppets disappeared, making Pinocchio fall onto the stage (his nose getting stuck again), and a hat appeared on his head as he looked up, taking the piece of wood his nose was stuck on with him, and then got up to bow. Coins were tossed, and then Stromboli took Pinocchio before announcing, "Thank you! Grazie, everyone! Grazie!" Everyone finished applauding as the gypsy mumbled another Italian phrase and then announced, "Now I will present the aspiring young lady! Put your hands together for the lovely, angel-voiced Maria Castelluccio!"

The audience cheered, and then Stromboli took Pinocchio behind his caravan as Maria cautiously made her way to the stage. Jiminy just looked down and groaned, "Oh no! Tell me this isn't happening to the girl who was gonna be his older sister!"  
When she got to the stage, Maria looked around nervously, but then she cleared her throat and smiled. The background scenery changed to the top of a table with a bowl of soup and some animal-shaped crackers surrounding it. Maria then sang as the music played:

 _Animal crackers in my soup_  
 _Monkeys and rabbits, loop-de-loop!_  
 _Gosh, oh, gee! Do I have fun?_  
 _Swallowing animals one by one!_

She then decided to twirl her skirt a little bit and dance as she kept singing:

 _In every bowl of soup I see_  
 _Lions and tigers watching me_  
 _I make them jump right through the hoop!_  
 _Those animal crackers in my soup!_

A wolf puppet came down and made the girl gasp, but she regained composure and sang:

 _When I get hold of the big bad wolf_  
 _I just push him under to drown_  
 _Then I bite him in a million bits_  
 _And I gobble him right down!_

The wolf puppet gave a frightened yelp, and then disappeared from stage! Maria smiled as she moved her arms a bit and sang:

 _When they're inside me where it's dark_  
 _I walk around like Noah's Ark_  
 _I stuff my tummy like a goop_  
 _With animal crackers in my soup!_  
 _Animal crackers in my soup_  
 _Do funny things to me_  
 _They make me think my neighborhood_  
 _Is a big menagerie!_

An angry male janitor puppet appeared with a mop and glared at Maria. The girl just frowned at him as a lion puppet appeared and roared, scaring the janitor away!

 _For instance, there's the janitor_  
 _His name is Signore Klein_  
 _And when he hollers at us kids_  
 _He reminds me of the lion!_

The lion puppet disappeared, and a fat male puppet with a mustache carrying a bag of food appeared. A walrus puppet appeared and danced as Maria sang:

 _The grocer is so big and fat_  
 _He has a big mustache_  
 _He looks just like a walrus_  
 _Just before he takes a splash!_

The grocer and walrus puppets disappeared, and Maria skipped and danced around while singing:

 _Animal crackers in my soup_  
 _Monkeys and rabbits, loop-de-loop_  
 _Gosh, oh gee! Do I have fun?_  
 _Swallowing animals one by one!_  
 _In every bowl of soup I see_  
 _Lions and tigers watching me_  
 _I make them jump right through the hoop_  
 _Those animal crackers in my soup!_

The wolf puppet appeared again, but Maria just smiled and decided to hold its paws as she danced and sang:

 _When I get hold of the big bad wolf_  
 _I just push him under to drown_  
 _Then I bite him in a million bits_  
 _As I gobble him right down!_

The wolf disappeared, and marionettes of camels, zebras, giraffes and elephants appeared; they danced with the girl as Maria sang:

 _When they're inside me where it's dark_  
 _I walk around like Noah's Ark_  
 _I stuff my tummy like a goop_  
 _With animal crackers in my soup!_

The animals and Maria danced around as Stromboli complimented them in Italian, and then told the audience, "This girl is sensational, no?"  
At his lamppost, Jiminy Cricket just looked at Maria and said sarcastically with a frown, "Nice going, Maria! If your parents saw this, they'd be REALLY proud!"  
Back on stage, the animal puppets went away as Maria finished singing:

 _When they're inside me where it's dark_  
 _I walk around like Noah's Ark_  
 _I stuff my tummy like a goop_  
 _With animal crackers in my soup!_

The audience clapped and cheered for Maria as the girl gave a bow and wiped some sweat from her forehead. "I can't believe it!" she told herself with a grin, "I actually performed good! I wonder what Mama would think if she saw me?"  
As Jiminy watched coins being tossed onto the stage, he said to himself, "Hmm! They like the kids! They're both a success. Gosh, maybe uI/u was wrong?"  
Stromboli blew kisses to the audience as he patted Pinocchio's head and held Maria's hand as Jiminy began to leave the lamppost and said, "Well, I guess they don't need me anymore. What does an actor or a singer want with a conscience, anyway?"

Author's Note: The song "Animal Crackers in my Soup" is from the movie _Curly Top_ ((c) Fox)


	13. Chapter 13

**Thirteen - Trapped in a Caravan!**

Over at Gepetto's workshop, the old woodcarver had a meal set on the table, and was wondering where Pinocchio and Maria were. "What could have happened to them?" Gepetto asked with sadness and worry. Figaro sniffed his baked fish while Cleo sniffed her little cake as Gepetto continued lamenting, "Where could they be at this hour?" He then decided to put on his hat, scarf and coat as he said, "I'd better go out again and look for them." As he took his lantern, he warned his pets, "And remember – nobody eats a bite until I find them!"  
Figaro and Cleo both shook their heads in agreement as their master opened the door to falling rain and went outside. When the door closed, Figaro was about to take a bite out of his fish when Cleo bubbled at him to wait until everyone was here before eating. The kitten looked sadly and hungrily at his fish before crossing his arms in frustration.

Meanwhile, at a familiar gypsy caravan, Stromboli was inside a wagon with Maria and Pinocchio while singing his rendition of Pinocchio's song that ended with, "I eat the fish and I drink the champagne! I've got no strings on me!" As he counted money and ate his dinner, Stromboli laughed and said, "Bravo, Pinocchio and Maria!"  
"They like us!" Pinocchio said happily.  
"They sure do!" agreed Maria.  
"Mmmm, two hundred!" Stromboli said as he moved a stack of coins with his sword. He stuck the tip of the sword on an olive as he told the children, "You are sensational!"  
"You mean we're good?" asked Pinocchio.  
"Ah, three hundred!" Stromboli said as he counted some more coins, "You are _closer!_ " At the last word, he chopped his sword onto his desk.  
"Does that mean I'm an actor?" Pinocchio asked the gypsy with enthusiasm.  
"And that I'm a singer?" added Maria.  
Stromboli took a bite out of an onion as he told them, "Sure! I will push you both in the public's eye! Your faces – they will be on everybody's town!"  
"Will they?" Pinocchio asked with tears of excitement.  
"Yeah, uh-huh," said Stromboli, "Watch this!" He took a coin, bent it with his teeth, did a face palm, and shouted in Italian at the coin. But soon he calmed down and said, "Oh, for you, my little Pinocchio and Maria!"  
"For us?" asked Pinocchio.  
"That's awfully nice of you," said Maria with a smile.  
"Gee, thanks!" the wooden boy said as he and Maria turned away to leave, "I'll run right home and tell my father!"  
At the puppet's last words, Stromboli was drinking wine; when he heard Pinocchio mention that he was going home to his father, the gypsy choked on the wine and spat it out. "Home?!" he cried in disbelief before laughing, "Oh, sure! Going home to your father! Oh, that is very _comica!_ "  
"You mean it's funny?" Pinocchio asked as he turned around.

Maria, on the other hand, felt that something wasn't right. " _Comica_ does mean it's funny, but something doesn't seem right to me," she whispered to Pinocchio.  
Stromboli continued laughing, "Oh, sure! Yes!"  
Pinocchio laughed a little as he tipped his hat and said, "I'll be back in the morning!"  
Stromboli picked up the little puppet in one hand as he repeated, "Be back in the morning?" He said something in Italian before laughing, "Going home!"  
"What are you doing with Pinocchio?" Maria asked with her hands on her hips. Stromboli and the wooden boy ignored her as they kept laughing.  
However, Stromboli's laughter turned to an angry expression as he shoved Pinocchio into a hanging birdcage and shut the door. As he locked it, he shouted, "There! This will be your home – where I can find you always!"  
"No, signore!" Maria cried out.  
"No, no, no!" Pinocchio cried out with fear.  
"Yes, yes, yes!" Stromboli shouted, "To me – you are belonging!" Maria glared at him as the gypsy told the puppet, "We will tour the world! Paris, London, Monte Carlo, Constantinop-ali!"  
"No, we won't!" Maria yelled with anger.  
"No, no!" cried Pinocchio.  
" **YES!** " roared Stromboli as he pounded his fist on his desk, "We start tonight!" He said something in Italian as he placed his coins into a bag before saying, "You and your girlfriend will make lots of money… FOR ME! And when you are growing too old…" He picked up a hatchet and licked its blade before finishing, "You will make good… FIREWOOD!" The gypsy laughed evilly as he threw the hatchet onto an old puppet.

Maria couldn't take it anymore, so she charged at Stromboli and gave him a punch on the shoulder. "You leave my little wooden brother alone!" she yelled with anger, "You can't keep us locked up in here like this!"  
Stromboli hastily grabbed her wrist and yelled, " **BE SILENT, LITTLE GIRL!** " At his last words, he threw Maria into a corner of the wall, making her land on her side. As Maria got up, she turned around and gasped with fear as Stromboli found a chain attached right next to her on the wall. The gypsy took the girl's right wrist and cuffed it to the chain as he said, "There! You will stay right here until you learn to behave like a proper young lady and accept your career as a singer in my caravan!" He then did another evil laugh as Maria desperately tried to free her wrist from the chain.  
Meanwhile, Pinocchio shook the bars of his birdcage and shouted, "Let me out of here! I gotta get out of here! You can't keep me…"  
"QUIET!" Stromboli shouted as the wagon shook, "SHUT UP! Before I knock you and the girl silly!" He calmed down and said as he blew a kiss, "Good night, my little wooden goldmine and my angel-voiced money-maker!" The gypsy gave another evil laugh as he exited the wagon and shut the door.

Everything went dark after Stromboli left, and poor Maria and Pinocchio were trapped like injured rats in the wagon. "No! No, wait!" Pinocchio cried as he climbed onto his cage bars and shook them, "Let me out! I'll tell my father!" Just then, Stromboli could be heard ordering his mules to pull the caravan; shortly after, the wagon began to move, making Pinocchio fall onto the bottom of his cage.  
Maria, on the other hand, jolted backward to the wall. She used her free hand to rub the back of her head, and then cried out, "Please, Signore Stromboli, let us out!" She then looked up at Pinocchio and called, "We gotta call for Jiminy Cricket! Maybe he'll help!"  
Pinocchio looked about and called out desperately, "Jiminy! Oh, Jiminy!" He whistled before crying out, "Oh, Jiminy, where are you?"  
Maria whistled and cried out, "Mr. Cricket! Help us!"  
Pinocchio whistled again and cried, "JIMINY CRICKET!" Some thunder roared from outside, frightening the little wooden boy, and making him sit down and cry.  
Maria calmed down and tried to comfort her wooden friend. "It's okay, Pinocchio," she said with a lump in her throat, "I'm sure things will be better."  
"How can they be better if no one's around to help us?" Pinocchio asked as a tear slid down his cheek.  
These words struck Maria like the lightning from outside. Soon she began to lose hope, too, and lamented, "All I wanted to do was make my real family proud. I want my real papa to come and help me." A tear fell down her cheek as she looked up with sadness and sang:

 _It's hard to remember_  
 _Summer or winter_  
 _When he hasn't been there for me_  
 _A friend and companion_  
 _I can always depend on_  
 _My father, that's who I need._

Raindrops fell outside like the tears from Maria's eyes as she thought about her father, Marco.

 _I've taken for granted_  
 _The seeds that he planted_  
 _He's always behind everything_  
 _A teacher, a seeker_  
 _A both-arms outreacher_  
 _My father, that's who I need._

Meanwhile, Jiminy Cricket was watching the caravan leave from the top of a water pump. He held his umbrella over his head as he said, "Well, there they go. Sitting in a life of luxury. The world at their feet. Oh well, I can always say I knew them well." He jumped off of the water pump and into the wet street as he said, "I'll just go out of their lives quietly." Just then, he heard a familiar voice sing:

 _Wish I could slow down the hands of time_  
 _Keep things the way they are_  
 _If he said so, I would give him the world_  
 _If I could_  
 _I would…_

Jiminy recognized that voice as Maria's, so he looked back at the travelling caravan before wondering, "I would like to wish them luck, though." He thought of his last words and said, "Sure! Why not?" So he ran after the caravan as he heard Maria's voice sing:

 _My love and my laughter_  
 _From here ever after_  
 _Is all that he said that he needs_  
 _Friend and companion_  
 _I can always depend on_  
 _My father, that's who I need (2x)_  
 _That's who I need._

Jiminy Cricket leaped onto the steps of the wagon when he made it, and then crept under the door to find Maria and Pinocchio. "Pinocchio? Maria?" he softly called, "It's me – your old friend, Jiminy, remember?"  
Maria turned her head and saw the little cricket; her expression changed from sadness to happiness as she cried, "Oh, Mr. Cricket! Thank goodness you're here!"  
"Jiminy!" Pinocchio happily called from his birdcage, "Gee, am I glad to see you!"  
Jiminy immediately saw his friends in distress, and he cried out, "Pinocchio! Maria! What's happened?" He hopped up to Pinocchio's birdcage and asked, "What did he do to you two?"  
"Oh, he was mad!" Pinocchio answered, "He said he was gonna push my face and Maria's face in everybody's eyes!"  
"Yeah," added Maria from down below.  
"And just 'cause I'm a goldbrick," Pinocchio continued, "He-he's gonna chop me into firewood!"  
"And he wants me to be a proper young lady and accept my new career!" Maria added with disgust.  
"Oh, is that so?" Jiminy asked. Pinocchio nodded before the cricket assured, "No don't you worry, son! I'll have you out in no time at all! Then we'll free the little lady!" The cricket went over to the padlock that held the door to the birdcage shut. He went inside the lock as he said, "Why, this is just as easy as rolling off…" His sentence was cut off when he tumbled down a bit and met some clanks.

Pinocchio leaned his head to hear what was going on, while Maria looked up with awe. Jiminy poked his head out to put his jacket and hat aside and remarked, "Kinda rusty!" He then went back inside, worked a few things, and then called out, "Needs a little oil!" His echo repeated that sentence, and then Jiminy looked around and said with confusion, "That's what I said." He then tried using his umbrella to move some levers back to open the padlock, but he had no luck; he flew out of the lock with a spring attached to his pants and landed on one of the birdcage bars.  
"You okay up there, Jiminy?" Maria asked as she watched the cricket.  
"Must be one of the old models," Jiminy said with a nervous chuckle.  
"You mean you can't open it?" Pinocchio asked with worry as he handed the cricket his hat and coat.  
"Yeah," Jiminy said as he moved along the birdcage and put his hat and coat on, "Looks pretty hopeless. It'll take a miracle to get us out of here."  
"Gee," Pinocchio said sadly.  
Down below, Maria just heaved a heavy, sad sigh.

Author's Note: The song "My Mother" is from the animated film _The Chipmunk Adventure_ ((c) MGM?)


	14. Chapter 14

**Fourteen - Lies and Confessions to The Fairy**

Back in the streets, the caravan kept on rolling by as the rain kept falling from the sky, and thunder and lightning clashed together. Gepetto was wandering the streets while carrying a lantern, calling for Pinocchio and Maria to come home. Trouble was, every time he shouted, thunder rumbled, making it impossible for the children to hear him. Stromboli's caravan passed by him while the gypsy commanded to the horse in Italian; Gepetto called for Maria and Pinocchio once more, but another sound of thunder rumbled. The old woodcarver then shook his head and walked sadly away, still desperate to find the two children.

Inside the wagon, Pinocchio, Maria, and Jiminy Cricket were all feeling very sad and ashamed for what happened that day. "A fine conscience I turned out to be!" Jiminy lamented as he sat on Pinocchio's knee in the birdcage.  
"I should've listened to you, Jiminy!" Pinocchio sadly said as a few tears escaped his eyes.  
"And I shouldn't have gave in to those animals!" Maria added with a lump in her throat.  
"No, it was my fault!" Jiminy said, "I shouldn't have walked out on you!"  
Pinocchio sniffed and said, "Guess I'll never see my father again!"  
"And I'll never see my real father again, either!" Maria added between sniffs and tears; she wiped a few tears away with her left hand.  
"Oh, buck up, you two!" Jiminy told the children, trying to sound optimistic, "It could be worse! Be cheerful, like me!" The cricket couldn't be cheerful, because he was overcome with guilt and shame. Pinocchio cried and shed a few tears; one tear splashed onto Jiminy's head. Jiminy looked up at Pinocchio and coaxed, "Oh, take it easy, son." He took out a handkerchief from his coat and said, "Come on. Blow!" Jiminy held the cloth up to Pinocchio's nose, and the wooden boy blew into the handkerchief. "Atta boy!" said Jiminy before he blew his own nose into the cloth.  
Down below, Maria sniffed and shed one last tear as she looked up at Jiminy with a sad smile. "At least I don't hear anymore thunder," she said with a little bit of happiness.  
"Oh yes," said Jiminy as he looked out the window, "It stopped raining, anyway."

Outside, up in the sky, a bright light floated down from the sky and towards the wagon window! Jiminy saw the light coming and cried, "Hey! That star again! The lady, the…" His sentence was cut off when Pinocchio fell backward in surprise, and the cricket landed on a cage rail before finishing, "The fairy!"  
"Oh my goodness!" Maria gasped when she also saw the light.  
Pinocchio desperately paced around his cage and wondered with shock, "What'll she say? What'll I tell her?"  
"You might tell her the truth!" Jiminy said before he hid in a little hiding place in the cage.  
Maria covered her eyes with her left hand while Pinocchio bent over away from the light, before the light transformed into a familiar fairy.

The Blue Fairy looked around and then saw Maria chained to the wall. "Oh, Maria," she said with surprise, "What has happened to you?"  
Surprised and frightened, Maria stammered to the Fairy, "Umm… m-maybe you should ask Pinocchio? H-he's in that birdcage!"  
The Blue Fairy looked at the birdcage and saw Pinocchio as she said, "Why, Pinocchio!"  
"Uh, hello!" Pinocchio said nervously as he lifted his hat from upside down.  
"Sir Jiminy!" the Blue Fairy said when she saw Jiminy hiding.  
Jiminy got up and chuckled nervously as he removed his hat, making tiny things come out, and stated, "Well, this is a pleasant surprise!"  
The cricket's smile faded as the Fairy asked the puppet, "Pinocchio, why didn't you and Maria go to school?"  
"School?" Pinocchio asked nervously, "Well, I… uh?" He looked down at Maria, who urged him to say something, and then at Jiminy.  
"Go ahead – tell her!" Jiminy told Pinocchio softly.  
"We were going to school, till we met somebody!" Pinocchio explained to the Fairy.  
"Met somebody?" the Fairy inquired.  
Jiminy nodded until Pinocchio lied, "Yeah, two big monsters – with big, green eyes!" At his last word, Pinocchio's nose grew about one or two inches longer.  
As the puppet wondered what had happened to his nose, the Blue Fairy asked, "Monsters? Weren't you afraid?"  
"No, ma'am!" continued Pinocchio, "But they tied me and Maria in a big sack!" At his last word, the puppet's nose grew longer again; this time, it had a few tiny leaves and a blossom bud at the end. Down below, Maria did a face palm.  
"You don't say!" the Blue Fairy said, "And where was Sir Jiminy?"  
"Oh, Jiminy?" asked Pinocchio.  
The cricket jumped down in front of Pinocchio and whispered, "Psst! Leave me out of this!"  
"They put him in a little sack!" the puppet lied to the Fairy. His nose grew even longer and had more leaves and buds at the end; poor Jiminy was seated at the very tip of the nose.  
"No!" gasped the Blue Fairy as she listened to Pinocchio's story.  
"Yes!" lied Pinocchio. The buds on his nose turned into blossoms.  
"Pinocchio!" Maria muttered softly with frustration.  
"How did you and Maria escape?" the Blue Fairy asked the puppet.  
"I didn't!" Pinocchio lied with a grin, "They chopped me into firewood, and turned Maria into a toad!" His nose grew even longer, and then produced a couple of branches holding a nest full of two bird eggs; Jiminy was inside the nest, much to his dismay, for the eggs hatched and produced little baby birds.

"Um, Pinocchio!" Maria softly called to him, "Your nose! And if I was turned into a toad, how come I don't look green and bumpy right now?"  
Pinocchio saw his nose and gasped, "Oh, look! My nose!" As he moved his nose, the baby birds and Jiminy bumped up and down. "What's happened?" Pinocchio asked the Blue Fairy.  
"Perhaps you haven't been telling the truth, Pinocchio?" the Blue Fairy stated. Maria nodded in agreement with a frown.  
Jiminy looked at the puppet and said, "Perhaps?!"  
"Oh, but I have!" Pinocchio lied, "Every single word!" At his last word, the leaves on his nose turned red and brown, and the baby birds flew away.  
"She's right, Pinocchio," Maria told him sternly, "You have been lying this whole time – now look at your nose! Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself?"  
"What about you, Maria?" the Fairy asked the girl. Maria put her hand over her mouth and remembered that she hadn't been a very good sister figure for Pinocchio earlier.  
Pinocchio looked at the Blue Fairy and pleaded, "Oh, please help me and Maria! I'm awful sorry!"  
"You see, Pinocchio," said the Blue Fairy, "A lie keeps growing and growing, until it's as plain as the nose on your face."  
Jiminy ran across Pinocchio's nose and said, "She's right, Pinoke, you'd better come clean."  
Pinocchio looked the Fairy with misty eyes and said, "I'll never lie again – honest I won't!"  
Jiminy ran across the nose again and asked the Fairy with pleading eyes, "Please, your honor, uh… I mean, uh, Miss Fairy? Give him another chance! For my sake. Will ya? Huh?"  
"I'd better see about Maria first," the Blue Fairy told him. She walked over to Maria and asked her, "Maria, do you think you could explain what happened today?"  
Maria looked up at the fairy, but then her lips trembled and she broke down in tears again. She took a deep breath and said, "I know you don't want me to say this… but I wasn't a good sister figure. Pinocchio and I were going to school when we met a fox and a cat. The fox told us about going to the theater to become actors and singers, and Pinocchio thought it was a good idea." She paused to sniff and continued, "I wanted to make my family proud, and I decided to go along with being a singer. Pinocchio and I thought we were going somewhere with Stromboli, but then he chained us up, and told us he was going to push us in everyone's eyes, and then…" She took another deep breath and finished, "He was going to make me a lovable lady and turn Pinocchio into firewood." Then she started crying again.  
The Blue Fairy looked at her and said softly, "Oh, Maria. I am disappointed in you for going down the wrong path with Pinocchio, but I'm also proud of you for conquering some of your shyness in front of all the people. I saw you down below from the sky, and I can see that you really try to make your father and your late mother proud. But you must listen to your conscience and focus on more important things first. Things will work out, though. I promise." Maria shed a few more tears as the Fairy sang:

 _Be brave, little one_  
 _Make a wish for each sad little tear_  
 _Hold your head up, though no one is near_  
 _Someone's waiting for you_

Maria wiped her eyes. The Blue Fairy produced a cloth with her magic wand and handed it to Maria as she continued singing:

 _Don't cry little one_  
 _There'll be a smile where a frown used to be_  
 _You'll be part of the love that you see_  
 _Someone's waiting for you._

Maria blew her nose into the cloth and placed it in her pocket for later use before the Fairy used her magic wand to undo the chain that held the girl's right wrist to the wall.

 _Always keep a little prayer in your pocket_  
 _And you're sure to see the light_  
 _Soon there'll be joy and happiness_  
 _And your little world will be bright_

Maria felt her wrist and smiled at the Blue Fairy, silently thanking her.

 _Have faith, little one_  
 _Till your hopes and your wishes come true_  
 _You must try to be brave, little one_  
 _Someone's waiting to love you._

The Blue Fairy and Maria walked over to Jiminy and Pinocchio and then told them, "Very well. I'll forgive all of you this once. But remember, a little boy who won't be good just might as well be made of wood. But a young girl who will stay true can help others through and through."  
"We'll be good, won't we?" Pinocchio, Maria and Jiminy all said in unison with promising smiles.  
"Very well," said the Blue Fairy, "But this is the last time I can help you." She tapped her wand onto Pinocchio's nose and disappeared in a blue flash of lights.

After the Fairy disappeared, Pinocchio's nose was back at its original length, and the birdcage door was opened! Pinocchio rubbed his eyes and happily exclaimed, "Gee, look, Jiminy and Maria! My nose!"  
"And you're free, too!" Maria added as she pointed out the open birdcage.  
"Hey! We're free!" said Jiminy, "Come on, you two!" He led the two children to the door of the wagon, and then they all snuck out quietly while Stromboli kept singing his song.  
The three friends hid behind a rock, and Jiminy softly said, "Toodle-loo, Stromboli!"  
Pinocchio waved and yelled, "Goodbye, Mr. Stromb…"  
"Shhhh!" Jiminy shushed, "Quiet! Let's get outta here, before something else happens!"  
"Yeah!" whispered Maria as she, Jiminy, and Pinocchio dashed away towards the village.

Author's Note: The song "Someone's Waiting For You" is from The Rescuers. ((c) Disney)


	15. Chapter 15

**Fifteen - The Coachman**

Meanwhile, in a dark harbor, there was a light at a tavern known as the Red Lobster Inn. Inside, a familiar voice was singing:

 _Hi-diddle-dee-dee!_  
 _An actor's life for me!_  
 _A high silk hat and a silver cane!_  
 _A watch of gold with a diamond chain!_  
 _Hi-diddle-dee-day!_  
 _An actor's life is gay!_  
 _It's great to be a celebrity!_  
 _An actor's life for me!_

Inside the tavern, J. Worthington Fowlfellow and Gideon were sitting at a table with an old man dressed in a red trench coat, brown gloves with a matching hat, and a blue scarf; he was also smoking a pipe. As the fox finished his song, he laughed, "And the dummy and the little girl fell for it!" Fowlfellow was telling the man about his experience with getting Maria and Pinocchio into Stromboli's show. While Fowlfellow told his story, Gideon puffed a smoke ring from his cigar, and then dipped it in his mug of beer like a donut; the cat then ate the smoke ring and hiccupped.  
"And they still think we're their friends!" the fox continued telling the man, "And did Stromboli pay… plenty!" Fowlfellow pulled out a little bag of coins and showed the scheming man as he laughed, "That shows you how low Honest John stood, eh, Giddy?"  
Gideon nodded in agreement as he slurped his beer, before enduring another hiccup and getting beer all over himself.  
"Alright, Coachman," Fowlfellow said before puffing some smoke out from his cigar, "What's your proposition?"  
The Coachman puffed some smoke from his pipe and asked in a Cockney accent, "Well, how would you blokes like to make real money?" At his last word, he pulled into his coat and took out a very large sack of money before putting it onto the table.

Fowlfellow and Gideon looked at the money with large eyes, and Fowlfellow smirked, "Well! And who do we have to, uh…" He made a noise as he moved his finger across his throat, indicating killing people.  
"No, no!" said the Coachman, "Nothing like that. You see…" He stopped to think as he moved his eyes away. Fowlfellow did the same thing, and then the man whispered to the fox, "I'm collecting stupid little boys."  
"Stupid little boys?" Fowlfellow asked softly.  
"You know," continued the Coachman, "The disobedient ones who play hooky from school."  
"Oh," the fox said with a nod.  
"And you see," the Coachman continued before whispering something into the fox's ear. Gideon wanted to get in on the plan, too. So he twirled his finger into Fowlfellow's other ear and then listened in while putting his finger into his ear. "And I takes them to Pleasure Island," the Coachman finished as he brought himself away from the fox and the cat.  
"Ah, Pleasure Island," Fowlfellow said contentedly as Gideon nodded. But the fox then became shocked as he cried, "Pleasure Island?!" When he shot up, Gideon fell over as Fowlfellow continued worriedly, "But the law! Suppose they…"  
"Oh, no," assured the Coachman, "There's no risk. They never come back… as BOYS!" At his last word, the man made a terrifying smirk before cackling like a maniac; Fowlfellow and Gideon held each other in fright with beads of sweat on their foreheads.  
"W-what about girls?" Fowlfellow stammered nervously.  
"Ah, don't worry about little ladies!" the Coachman told him, "No girl can't POSSIBLY be dumb enough to skip school like boys do!" He brought the fox and the cat back over to him as he explained, "Now, I've got a coach that's leaving at midnight. We'll meet at the crossroads, and no double-crossing!"  
"No, sir!" said Fowlfellow.  
"Scatter around, and any good prospects you find," the man continued, "Bring them to me!"  
"Yes, chief!"  
"I'll pay you well – I've got plenty of gold!"  
"Yes, yes!" said Fowlfellow.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sixteen - Another Meeting with Fox and Cat**

Back in the village, a familiar trio was walking down a street with determination. "No, sir!" said Pinocchio, "Nothing can stop me now! I'll make good this time!"  
"You'd better!" said Jiminy Cricket.  
"I'll do good, too!" added Maria, "I'm gonna wait a while before I can be a singer!"  
"That's what I'm talking about, Maria!" said the cricket with a grin.  
"I'm gonna go to school, and Pinocchio's coming with me!" the girl said with her head held high.  
"I will, I'm going to school!" said Pinocchio.  
"That's the stuff, Pinoke!" said Jiminy.  
"I'd rather be smart than be an actor!" the wooden boy said.  
"Me too!" agreed Maria.  
"You're talkin'!" said Jiminy as he hopped onto the top of a bridge railing, "Come on, you two slowpokes! I'll race you home!" With that, the cricket ran along the bridge rail while Pinocchio and Maria ran after him, trying to make it home.

After a little bit of running, Pinocchio was held back by a cane. Maria stopped running and turned around to see what was going on. "Well, well, Pinocchio!" a familiar voice said, "What's your rush?"  
"I gotta beat Jiminy and Maria home!" Pinocchio answered as he turned to see who was talking to him. It was J. Worthington Fowlfellow, and the wooden boy greeted him with a hello.  
Gideon held the puppet back with the cane as the fox came up to Pinocchio and asked, "Well, how is the great actor and his sister the singer?"  
"I don't wanna be an actor!" Pinocchio told him, "Stromboli was terrible!"  
"He was?" Fowlfellow asked.  
"Of course he was!" snapped Maria with a frown as she approached Fowlfellow, "And we want nothing to do with him anymore!"  
"Yeah," added Pinocchio, "He locked me in a birdcage, and Maria to a wall!"  
"He did?" asked Fowlfellow.  
"Uh-huh," answered Pinocchio, "But we learned our lessons!"  
"We sure did!" agreed Maria, "Now if you'll excuse us, we gotta get home!"  
The fox looked at Pinocchio with fake concern and gasped, "Oh, you poor, poor boy! You must be a nervous wreck." He stopped Pinocchio from running and said, "That's it! You are a nervous wreck!"  
"Mister, I don't know about you, but I think my wooden friend is just fine!" Maria told the fox as she put her hands on her hips.

Fowlfellow didn't pay attention to the young girl. Instead, he pulled some eyeglasses from his jacket and said as he cleared his throat, "We must diagnose this case at once!"  
Maria just put her palm on her face in annoyance. "Not again!" she muttered under her breath.  
"Quick, doctor, your notebook!" Fowlfellow instructed Gideon, who pulled out a notebook and pencil from his shirt. As Gideon licked the pencil, the fox took Pinocchio's pulse by the wooden wrist and said, "Bless my soul! Mmm-hmm… my, my!" He pulled out a pocket watch and continued, "Just as I thought! A slight touch of voluntary complications, a few como-semoloic contraptions…"  
As Fowlfellow blabbered on, Gideon wrote notes in his notebook. Maria just shook her head with annoyance and disgust.  
Next, the fox opened up the wooden boy's mouth and used the eyeglasses as a tongue depressor. "Mmm-hmm," said Fowlfellow, "Say 'hippopotamus.'"  
"Hippopotamus," Pinocchio said with his mouth open and tongue out.  
"I knew it!" exclaimed Fowlfellow before he blabbered some more unknown words; Gideon kept writing notes until he moved his pencil away from the paper in his notebook.

Next, Fowlfellow told Pinocchio, "Close your eyes. What do you see?"  
"Nothing," Pinocchio answered. Unknown to him, the fox had pulled out a white handkerchief with red spots in front of the puppet.  
"Open them," instructed Fowlfellow, "Now what do you see?"  
"Spots!" answered the wooden boy.  
"Pinocchio, it's a trick," Maria muttered through clenched teeth.  
"Ha-ha!" said Fowlfellow before lifted Pinocchio's shirt up, "Now that heart!" He put his ear to Pinocchio's chest and heard some thumping. "Oooh, my goodness!" the fox said as he thumped his cane on some window shutters; that was the thumping noise instead of a heartbeat. Fowlfellow then tapped his cane on a glass bottle and water can as he said in a rhythmic tone, "A complicated situation with the cimme-guillar!" Gideon wrote some more notes down as he danced to the beat while his fox friend continued, "With a wicky-wicky stopping of the full-on joy!" Fowlfellow then whacked Gideon on the head as he took the notebook to see the notes. "Quick, doctor, that report!" the fox said before he looked at the "notes" carefully. Instead of words, there were a bunch of scribbles on the paper. "Oh, this makes it perfectly clear!" said Fowlfellow, "My boy, you are allergic!"  
"Allergic?" Pinocchio wearily asked; his clothes were now completely messed up from his "examination."  
"I don't think that's the case," Maria softly said to herself with annoyance.  
"Yes, and there is only one cure!" Fowlfellow said to the puppet boy, "A vacation – on Pleasure Island!"  
The fox secretly winked at the cat as Pinocchio questioned, "Pleasure Island?"  
"Yes, that happy land of carefree boys!" Fowlfellow said as he and Gideon hopped around a little bit, "Where every day is a holiday!"  
"But I can't go," said Pinocchio as he walked away.  
"He's right," added Maria sternly, "We have to go home!"  
"Why, of course you can go!" Fowlfellow said as he turned Pinocchio around to face him, "Your sister can watch over the house while you come along with me! I'm giving you my ticket!" He then waved his hand a little and produced a card which had the Ace of Spades.  
"Don't be tempted, Pinocchio!" Maria whispered with anxiety.  
Fowlfellow frowned at her before he handed Pinocchio the card and said, "Here!"  
"Thanks!" Pinocchio said, "But I'm…"  
"Oh, d-d-d-dah!" Fowlfellow interrupted, "I insist! Your health comes first! Come! The coach departs at midnight!" He and Gideon each Pinocchio by a wooden arm and then walked down a road as Fowlfellow sang:

 _Hi-diddle-dee-dee!_  
 _It's Pleasure Island for me!_  
 _Where every day is a holiday_  
 _And kids have nothing to do but play!_

Meanwhile, Jiminy Cricket was getting worried about Pinocchio and Maria. "Pinoke!" he called as he ran off, "Maria! Oh, kids! Now where do you suppose…" He stopped himself as he saw Maria sulking and three familiar figures walking off and gasped, "Huh? Pinocchio!"  
Maria heard Jiminy's voice and cried, "Jiminy Cricket! Where are you?"  
Jiminy ran over to Maria, and she let him hop into the palm of her hand as he asked, "Maria, what's happened to Pinoke?"  
"I tried to tell him, but the fox and the cat took him away!" Maria answered, "They're taking him to this place called Pleasure Island!"  
"Then we'd better follow them!" Jiminy insisted. Maria hurriedly followed the trio as Jiminy called out, "Hey! Wait for us!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Seventeen - Pleasure Island**

A while later, a large coach pulled by several donkeys carried many loud boys, the Coachman, and a familiar wooden boy. Maria secretly clung onto the rear of the coach while Jiminy Cricket hid under a lantern at the rear. "Giddy-up!" the Coachman commanded his donkeys.  
Jiminy coughed from under the lantern and mumbled, "Well, here we go again!"  
At the front of the coach, Pinocchio was seated between the Coachman and a ginger-haired boy wearing a yellow shirt, a brown jacket, a green tie, gray pants, and a brown hat. The boy shot something with his slingshot and said to the puppet, "My name's Lampwick. What's yours?"  
"Pinocchio," the puppet answered as he tipped his hat.  
"Ever been to Pleasure Island?" asked Lampwick as he shot another shot with his slingshot.  
"Uh-uh," Pinocchio answered as he held up his card, "But Mr. Honest John gave me…"  
"Me neither," Lampwick interrupted, "But they say it's a swell joint! No school, no cops, you can tear the joint apart, and nobody says a word!" As Lampwick described Pleasure Island, the Coachman gave a smirk as he cracked his whip at the donkeys.  
"Honest John gave me…" Pinocchio began again.  
"Loathe around, plenty to eat, plenty to drink, and it's all free!" Lampwick interrupted with content and excitement.  
"Honest John…" Pinocchio started again.  
"Boy, that's the place!" said Lampwick as he playfully elbowed Pinocchio, "I can hardly wait!" He shot another shot with his slingshot as the coach travelled on over a bridge and beside some rocks.

Soon, the coach full of boys (and a certain stowaway girl and her cricket) arrived at a pier where a large steamship full of other boys was waiting. The ship's horn sounded as everyone climbed aboard, and within minutes, the ship was off to Pleasure Island! After going through a tunnel in a mountain on an island, the ship docked at a drawbridge, which opened up to flashing lights and cheerful music. All the boys cheered as they climbed off the ship and ran to the fairgrounds of Pleasure Island. A barker called out, "Right here, boys, right here! Get your cake, pie, dill pickles and ice cream! Eat all you can! Be a glutton! Stuff yourselves! It's all free, boys, it's all free! Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!"  
The interior of Pleasure Island had all kinds of fun things, a rollercoaster, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, balloons, confetti, clowns, and a large balloon of a police officer. One tent had a robotic giant announcing, "The Rough House! The Rough House! It's the roughest, toughest joint you ever seen! Come in and pick a fight, boys!"  
Pinocchio and Lampwick were walking around with food when they saw the Rough House. "Oh boy! A scrap!" Lampwick said with excitement, "Come on, let's go in there and poke somebody in the nose!"  
"Why?" Pinocchio asked.  
"Ah, just for the fun of it!" said Lampwick.  
The two boys threw their food aside as Pinocchio nodded, "Okay, Lampy!" Then the two of them went inside the Rough House.

At another part of Pleasure Island, robotic Native Americans were tossing out cigars and cigarettes to young delinquent boys who wanted to smoke. "Tobacco Row! Tobacco Row!" a barker announced, "Get your cigars, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco! Come on in and smoke your heads off! There's more fun in here than anywhere else!"  
Meanwhile, Jiminy Cricket and Maria were looking all around for Pinocchio when they ended up in Tobacco Row. "Pinocchio!" Jiminy called out between coughs, "Pinocchio!"  
"There's so many boys here that I can't seem to find him!" said Maria as she coughed away some tobacco.  
"Ugh! Tell me about all this!" Jiminy said as he dodged walking feet, "I gotta get him out of here!"  
"Come on, Jiminy!" Maria said as she let the cricket hop into her hand, "We'd better look somewhere else!" So she ran off and searched high and low for the wooden boy.

Meanwhile, at a mansion-like building, a barker announced, "Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry! See the Model Home! It's open for destruction! And it's all yours, boys, it's all yours!" All around the model home, boys were pulling potted plants apart, starting bonfires, breaking valuable items, and doing all sorts of other naughty things a spoiled brat would do in a large house. Inside the building, Lampwick struck a match on the bMona Lisa/b painting, used it to light a cigar, and asked, "What I tell ya? Ain't this a swell joint?"  
"Yeah!" Pinocchio smiled as he held up an axe, "Being bad's a lot of fun, ain't it?"  
"Yeah," agreed Lampwick as he picked up a brick, "Just get a load at that stained glass window!" He then threw the brick at the window, and the broke smashed right through it!

Back at the entry gate, the Coachman looked at the happy-go-lucky boys before he turned to his henchmen, who were strange, black beings, and ordered, "Alright! Hop to it, you blokes!" He cracked his whip and ordered, "Come on, come on! Shut the doors and lock 'em tight!"  
The dark henchmen shut the massive gates before the Coachman ordered, "Now get below and get them crates ready!" He smirked as he turned around and cackled evilly to himself, "Give a bad boy enough rope, and he'll soon make a jackass of himself!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Eighteen - Enough is Enough**

A couple of hours later, the interior of Pleasure Island was completely dark and silent. The rides were destroyed and the buildings were empty; all the rowdy boys were gone! "Pinocchio!" Jiminy Cricket called out as he and Maria looked for the wooden boy.  
"Oh, Pinocchio!" cried Maria, "Please, come out wherever you are!"  
"Pinocchio!" Jiminy called again before whistling out loud. As he walked over a book, Jiminy asked himself, "Where is everybody? This place is like a graveyard… I don't like the looks of this."  
Maria saw him walking about and then let the cricket jump into the palm of her hand again. "Do you see him anywhere?" she asked, worried about Pinocchio.  
Jiminy shook his head, and then called out, "Oh, Pinocchio!"  
"Pinocchio, where are you?" Maria called.  
"Hey, where are you?" Jiminy called as Maria walked around.  
Just then, the girl saw a light in a large eight ball building – the pool hall. "Jiminy, look!" she said as she pointed out the building, "Do you suppose he could be in there?"  
"I don't see why not," the cricket answered. With that, Maria decided to take Jiminy and look for Pinocchio in the pool building.

Inside the building, Lampwick was whistling a tune as he shot some pool balls into a pocket on the pool table, spat in a dish, and smoked a cigar. Pinocchio was sitting back in a chair with his feet on a table while smoking a cigar. "Where do you suppose all the kids went off to, Lampwick?" he asked as she puffed some smoke.  
"Eh, they're around here somewhere," Lampwick said as he patted some specks off his cigar, "What do you care?" He studied the white ball carefully as he sat on the pool table and asked as he shot at the white ball, "You're having a good time, ain't you?"  
"Uh-huh," Pinocchio answered, "I sure am!"  
"Oh boy!" said Lampwick as he smeared burned tobacco on top of his pool rod, "This is the life! Huh, Pinokkey?"  
"Yeah, it sure is!" Pinocchio said between puffs from his cigar.  
"Ah, you smoke like my grandmother!" Lampwick said as he used his pool rod to make the balls move his cigar up, "Come on! Take a big draft – like this!" He puffed very hard on his cigar, making the burned tobacco appear!  
"Okay, Lampy!" Pinocchio smiled before he puffed as hard as he could on his own cigar. After doing so, he held the smoke in his mouth, hiccupped, and then swallowed the smoke. His eyes watered up like jugs of water before he blinked at let the water flow. Then he turned green in the face and exhaled a tiny smoke ring.  
"Some fun, huh, kid?" Lampwick asked.  
Pinocchio managed a weary smile as he nodded at Lampwick.  
"Okay, slaps," Lampwick said as he moved points above the table with his pool rod, "Your shot!"

Pinocchio climbed onto the pool table and tried to focus on hitting the eight ball with his pool rod. But because he was so weary from smoking and drinking alcoholic drinks, he had a hard time keeping a good eye on his target. He shook his head, and his eyes moved around like balls in a container. "What's the matter, slaps?" Lampwick mocked, "Losing your grip?"  
Unknown to the boys, a familiar girl and cricket entered the building. Jiminy and Maria were both shocked when they saw what Pinocchio was doing. "Leave it to me, Maria," the cricket whispered to the girl. Maria nodded and helped Jiminy get onto the pool table.  
Meanwhile, Pinocchio tried hard to hit the eight ball, but he fell over and accidentally tore up the pool table with his pool rod when a familiar male voice shouted, "PINOCCHIO!" The puppet wearily looked up with a smashed cigar in his mouth as Jiminy furiously lectured him, "So this is where I find you! How do you ever expect to be a real boy?" Jiminy Cricket jumped from the eight ball he was standing on and chastised as he pulled Pinocchio's cigar out of his mouth, "Look at yourself – smoking!"  
"Yeah," Maria chimed in with a glare as she approached Pinocchio, "Not to mention drinking beer and gambling!"  
"And playing pool?" Jiminy said as he kicked his foot on the eight ball. The kick stubbed his toe as he yelped and shouted, "You're coming right home with me and Maria this minute!"  
Lampwick looked at Maria and then saw the cricket before picking him up by the jacket and asking, "Say, who's that mean twerp, and who's the beetle?"  
Maria glared at the ginger-haired boy as Jiminy ordered Lampwick, "Now, put me down!" He muffled in his jacket as he swung around and tried to attack Lampwick.

Pinocchio pointed Maria out to Lampwick and said, "That girl is my big sister." Then he looked at Jiminy and said, "And he's my conscience. He tells me what's right and wrong!"  
"And what you're doing to Jiminy Cricket is downright wrong!" Maria snapped as she crossed her arms at Lampwick.  
"What?" Lampwick asked as he dropped Jiminy on the pool table, "You mean to tell me you take orders from a grasshopper?"  
Offended, Jiminy shot up onto a ball and repeated, "Grasshopper? Now look here, you.. young puck! It wouldn't hurt you to take orders from your grasshop… your conscience! If you had one!"  
"Yeah, yeah, sure!" said Lampwick as he shot some balls with his stick, "Screwball in the corner pocket!" The effects of the balls sent Jiminy going down into the pocket with them! He yelped when he saw the eight ball rolling toward him, but he moved out of the way just in time!  
As Lampwick laughed at Jiminy, Maria angrily told him, "You naughty little brat! Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself for being mean to poor Jiminy? What would your mother say about this?"  
"What would your mom say about you bossing me around, girl?" Lampwick asked Maria with a frown.  
Jiminy, meanwhile, peeked out from the opening of his pool table pocket and glared at the redhead boy. He climbed out and said as he removed his jacket, "Why, ya young hoodlum! I'll knock your block off!" He then did several boxing positions and made noises as he moved his fists at Lampwick without actually harming him. The ginger-haired boy just laughed at him as Jiminy stormed toward him and threatened, "I'll take you apart and put you back together!"  
"Oh, don't hurt him, Jiminy!" Pinocchio said as he held Jiminy back with his fingers, "He's my best friend!"  
Maria gasped with shock when she heard that part as Jiminy kept grumbling before repeating with shock, "Your best friend?!" He turned to face Pinocchio and said, "And what am I? Just your conscience! And what do you suppose Maria is? Your sister figure!" He flattened his hat and picked up his jacket as he finished, "Okay! That settles it!"  
"But, Jiminy!" said Pinocchio.  
"You buttered your bread," Jiminy angrily called as he unintentionally put his jacket on backwards, "Now sleep in it!"  
"You should be ashamed, too!" Maria told the puppet with a glare as she headed toward the exit.

Jiminy Cricket, on the other hand, didn't see where he was going, and dropped down into another pool pocket. He bumped off a ball and landed on the floor as Lampwick laughed at him. "Ha, ha, ha!" Jiminy mocked furiously, "Go on – laugh! Make a jackass outta yourself! I'm through! This is the end!"  
"And I've had enough of your defiance, too!" Maria glared at Pinocchio.  
"But, Jiminy! Maria!" Pinocchio pleaded as the girl and cricket left the building, "Lampwick says a guy only lives once!"  
"Lampwick!" scoffed Jiminy, "Humph!"  
"I've had enough with your so-called friend, too!" Maria added as she slammed the doors.  
"Come on, come on!" Lampwick said, "Let him go!" He then took two mugs and filled them with beer from a spigot on a keg.


	19. Chapter 19

**Nineteen - Turning Into Donkeys**

In the meantime, Jiminy Cricket and Maria were still both very angry with Pinocchio being very defiant with them, even worse than the incident with Stromboli. "Lampwick," grumbled Jiminy as he kicked some cigar dust away, "Hmph! Lampwick!"  
"I know, right?" Maria grumbled as she struggled to avoid stepping on trash on the ground.  
Jiminy went through a book and continued muttering, "Burns me up. After all I tried to do for him! Who's his conscience, anyway?" He was briefly tangled in a ribbon, but he broke away as he continued, "Me, Maria, or-or that hoodlum Lampwick?"  
"Yeah, I've had enough of Pinocchio's bad behavior!" Maria agreed, "I hate being a sister for him!"  
"I've had enough of this, too!" said Jiminy as he hopped up some stairs to the entry gates, "We're taking the next boat out of here!" He pounded the gate with his tiny umbrella and ordered, "Open up that door! Open up! Maria and I wanna go home!"  
"Shhh! Jiminy, did you hear that?" Maria shushed when she heard a strange noise. It sounded like donkeys baying and hee-hawing.  
"Stay here," Jiminy whispered as Maria knelt down, "I'm gonna take a look." Jiminy crept under the gate to see what was going on, and Maria peeked in through a crack.

On the other side of the gate, the Coachman was ordering his henchmen, "Come on, you blokes! Keep it moving! Finally, there now! We haven't got all night!" All around, donkeys were sadly hee-hawing while being trapped in crates and hauled onto a ship.  
"Where'd all the donkeys come from?" Jiminy wondered as he scratched his head.  
One henchman opened a gate, and pulled out a donkey wearing a blue jacket and hat as the Coachman ordered, "Come on, come on! Let's have another!" The donkey was shoved over to the Coachman, who asked it, "And what's your name?"  
The donkey just gave a sad bay as the Coachman ripped its clothes off and said, "Okay, you'll do! In you go!" He kicked the poor animal into a crate that had "Sold to Salt Mines" written on it. In other crates, some donkeys were sold to a circus, and others were sold to farms. "You and those are getting a nice price!" the Coachman cackled before ordering his henchmen, "All right! Next!" A different donkey wearing a blue and red outfit was shoved in front of the Coachman, who asked him, "And what might your name be?"  
"Alexander," the donkey nervously and sadly answered.  
"Hmmm, so you can talk?" the Coachman asked with a smirk.  
"Y-yes sir," Alexander answered before he cried out, "I wanna go home to my mama!"  
The Coachman picked up Alexander by his shirt and shoved him into a pen with other clothed donkeys as he ordered his henchmen, "Take him back! He can still talk!"  
Alexander and the other talking donkeys frightfully pleaded, "Please, no! I don't wanna be a donkey! Lemme out of here!"  
"QUIET!" the Coachman ordered the donkeys as he cracked his whip, "You boys have had your fun! **Now pay for it!"**  
"Boys?" Jiminy wondered. He then remembered all the boys coming to Pleasure Island and gasped with shock and fear, "So that's what… PINOCCHIO!" He ran back under the gate to meet Maria so that they could find Pinocchio before anything happened.

Back at the pool building, Lampwick scoffed as he drank some beer, "Ha! Hear that twerp and that beetle talk… you think something was gonna happen to us!" At his last word, he ears transformed into those of a donkey!  
Pinocchio saw the transformation and looked at his beer. Thinking that the beer caused the ears to transform, he nervously placed his glass of beer back on a table.  
Lampwick took no notice as to what happened and continued scoffing as he shot more pool balls with his stick, "Conscience! Nah, phooey!" At his last word, a donkey's tail sprouted from his behind!  
Pinocchio saw the tail sprout, took his cigar out of his mouth, and then tossed the cigar aside.  
"Where do they get that stuff?" Lampwick grumbled as he went over to another side of the pool table, "How do you ever expect to be a real boy?" He turned around and made another shot as he asked, "What they think I look like?" He turned around, revealing that his face had transformed into that of a donkey's and finished, "A jackass?"  
As Lampwick smoked out of his cigar, Pinocchio said, "You sure do!" He then laughed a bit before he hee-hawed like a donkey!  
As the puppet put his hands over his mouth, Lampwick mocked, "Hey! You laugh like a donkey!" He laughed too, and then produced his own hee-haw! Shocked, the troublemaker put his hands over his mouth and asked, "Did that come out of me?"  
Pinocchio frightfully nodded as Lampwick felt around his face. He was shocked to feel that his mouth felt funny, and then he felt up to his ears, which were surprisingly long! "Huh?" he asked as he felt the length of his ears, "What the? What's going on?" Lampwick frantically looked at himself in a nearby mirror and let out a scream of terror when he saw his reflection! "I'm a double cross!" he cried as he ran around the room, "Help, help! Somebody help! I'm in pain! HELP!" He got down to his knees in front of Pinocchio and pleaded, "Please! You gotta help me! Be a pal! Call that beetle, call that girl, call anybody!" At his last word, his hands transformed into donkey hooves, making Pinocchio gasp with fright. "Mama!" Lampwick cried, "MAMA!" He then got onto all fours and bayed like a donkey!

All Pinocchio could do was watch in terror behind a chair as Lampwick kicked his hind legs up and broke several items before running away. In a matter of minutes, Pinocchio's ears transformed into gray donkey ears! "Oh, what's happened?" he cried out with shock and fear.  
In the meantime, Maria and Jiminy Cricket were running over to the pool building as fast as they could. "I hope we're not too late!" Jiminy said.  
Inside the building, Pinocchio frantically wondered, "W-what'll I do?" As he looked around, a tail sprung out of his own behind!  
Just then, Maria and Jiminy reached the building and the cricket called out, "Pinocchio!"  
"Jiminy!" Pinocchio cried when he saw his friends, "Maria, help!"  
"Quick, Pinoke, the kids – the boys, they're all donkeys!" Jiminy said before he gasped, "Oh! You too!"  
Pinocchio nodded and Maria insisted, "We have to get you out of here now!"  
"Come on, quick!" Jiminy said as he and Maria went out the door, "Before you get any worse!"  
The three friends ran through Pleasure Island as fast as they could, looking for a way to escape. "Which way, Jiminy?" Maria asked with her heart racing inside her.  
Jiminy pointed to the top of a hill and said, "This way, you two! It's the only way out!" The two children followed the cricket as they hurriedly climbed up the steep and rocky hill. "Hurry up!" Jiminy said as he held onto the tip of Pinocchio's tail, "Before they see us!"  
Eventually, the children reached the top of the hill, and looked down at the ocean below them. "Now what do we do?" Maria asked frantically.  
"You gotta jump!" Jiminy insisted. The three friends wasted no time as they all jumped into the water together.


	20. Chapter 20

**Twenty - The Bottom of the Sea**

After several minutes of swimming away from Pleasure Island, Pinocchio, Maria, and Jiminy Cricket finally made it to the shores close to their village. "Jiminy?" Pinocchio breathed as pulled up his tail, "Jiminy? Are you alright?"  
"Sure!" Jiminy coughed as he tapped his head to shake water out of his ears, "I thought we'd never make it!"  
"Me too!" Maria breathed as she squeezed water from her ponytail. She removed her ribbon and let her hair down so that it could dry faster as she continued, "I almost thought we were gonna drown from exhaustion!"  
"It certainly feels good to be back on dry land!" Jiminy added as he lifted his hat up and let water flow out of it, "Come on, you two! Let's get home!"

Several minutes later, Jiminy Cricket and the children were running through the dark streets of the village as Pinocchio called out, "Father! Father, I'm home!"  
"We're home, Mr. Gepetto!" Jiminy called out as he and the children reached Gepetto's workshop, "Home again!"  
"We're home, Papa!" Maria called out as she tied her ribbon back in her hair, "Please open the door!"  
When the three arrived at the front door, Pinocchio rang the bell, calling out for his father, while Maria knocked on the door and Jiminy tapped the bottom of the door with his umbrella. No response came. "Hey! Maybe he's asleep?" Jiminy wondered aloud. He hopped over to the window sill to see if Gepetto was sleeping in his bed.  
"Father?" Pinocchio kept calling, "Father, it's me!"  
"I'm here, too!" Maria called out.  
Jiminy, meanwhile, rubbed some stuff from the window to get a better look, and then whispered, "Pinoke! Maria! Come here!" The two children came over to look in the window as Jiminy stated, "He ain't here."  
"He… he's gone," Pinocchio softly said with shock as he looked around. Inside, Gepetto's bed was empty, and his clocks and wooden objects were covered in cobwebs and dust.  
"I can't believe it," Maria whispered, "What could've possibly happened to him?"  
"Yeah, and Figaro," Jiminy said as he looked down at Figaro's empty bed; the kitten was gone, too.  
"And Cleo, too!" said Pinocchio when he saw that Cleo's fishbowl was missing.  
Maria wondered with worry, "I hope nobody broke in and…" She couldn't bear to think of what would've happened next, so she slumped over and sadly walked to the entrance steps, and then sat down with a gloomy face; Jiminy and Pinocchio soon joined her.

As the three friends sat and thought about Gepetto and his pets, Pinocchio wondered, "Maybe something awful happened to him!"  
"I hope not," Maria added, "I hope he didn't just walk out and…" Her voice trembled at the last part, and she felt ready to cry. Not only had she lost her biological parents, but she also lost Gepetto. "Oh, I feel so abandoned!" Maria said with a lump in her throat, "First I lose my mother when I'm a baby, then my real father goes away and never comes back, and now my godfather is gone, too!"  
"Don't cry, Maria," Jiminy coaxed the girl before turning to the puppet and telling him, "And don't worry, son, he probably hasn't gone far."  
Up in the sky, one star was shining brighter than the others; just then, a little white dove carrying a piece of paper in its beak flew down and dropped the note in front of the three friends. When the note landed, something else appeared out of nowhere – a bottle of blue, transparent liquid!  
"What's that?" Maria asked with awe as she wiped away a tear.  
"Hey!" said Jiminy as he hopped onto the paper. Written on it was a message in gold ink. The cricket got his reading glasses out from his jacket and looked at the words. "It's a message!" he said.  
"What's it say?" Pinocchio asked.  
"It's about your father," Jiminy answered.  
"Where is he?" the wooden boy asked as he looked down at the not.  
"Why, uh, it says here," Jiminy said as he read the note, "He went looking for you and Maria, and uh, he was swallowed by a whale!"  
"Swallowed by a whale?" Pinocchio asked with shock.  
"Yeah, uh-huh," Jiminy answered before crying out, "A WHALE?" He kept reading the note and added, "A whale named Monstro!"  
"Monstro?" Maria gasped with shock, "I thought he was only made up! My real father used to tell me stories about him, but I guess he wasn't kidding!"  
Pinocchio started, "Oh! He's…"  
Jiminy kept reading the note about Gepetto and said, "But wait! He's alive!"  
"Alive?" Pinocchio asked with hope, "Where?"  
"Why, inside the whale!" Jiminy answered as he read some more, "At the bottom of the sea!"  
"The bottom of the sea?" Pinocchio asked.  
"Uh-huh!" Jiminy added.  
"May I see that note?" Maria asked.  
"Uh, sure!" Jiminy added as he hopped off the paper.

Maria picked up the paper and looked over the front of it. She then turned it over and saw even more writing. "Hey, there's something else written here, too!" She said with excitement. She then read aloud, "Dear Maria, I have watched over your godfather, and saw that he had ran into your real father, Marco…"  
"Your real father?" Jiminy asked with shock.  
"My real father?" Maria repeated with wide eyes. She went back to the note and kept reading, "Your real father, Marco, while he was at sea. Marco was on a lifeboat from a pirate's ship…"  
"A pirate's ship?" Pinocchio interrupted with wide eyes.  
"Yeah!" said Maria before she read on, "A pirate's ship he had been captured on! Marco and Gepetto reunited happily before Monstro came up and swallowed them alive! The two of them are alive, and I have given you a bottle of potion in case you ever go looking for them."  
"Potion?" Jiminy questioned as he looked at the bottle of liquid, "On it, it says, 'Drink Before Travelling Underwater'!"  
"I wonder what it does?" Maria said before finishing the letter, "I wish you the best of luck. Signed, the Blue Fairy!"  
"The Blue Fairy?" Pinocchio asked as he began walking away from the workshop.  
"Hey, where are you going?" Jiminy asked the puppet.  
"I'm going to find my father!" Pinocchio answered.  
Maria gave a look of determination as she picked up the bottle of potion and said, "Then I'm going to look for my father, too!"  
"Kids, are you crazy?" Jiminy asked as he ran to catch up with the children, "Don't you two realize they're in a whale?"  
"I've gotta go to him!" Pinocchio said.  
"Me too!" added Maria, "I wanna really make my father proud!"  
"Hey, kids, wait!" Jiminy called as the children ran away from the village, "Listen here!"

At the break of dawn, Maria and Pinocchio were standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. Maria guzzled down the potion and waited for something to happen. "Hmmm," she wondered, "I wonder if I'll turn into a mermaid when I'm in the water? Or maybe I'll turn into a fish or a dolphin?"  
Pinocchio tied a rock to his tail as Jiminy caught up to him and Maria. "But, this Monstro!" Jiminy pleaded to them, "I've heard of him. He's a WHALE of a whale! Why, he swallows whole ships alive!"  
"I know, Jiminy," Maria said as she removed her shoes and dress, "My father has told me about him."  
Pinocchio tied a knot in his tail as Jiminy placed his umbrella on top and said, "Tie it good and tight now." He then continued rambling, "And besides, it's dangerous! Why, I…"  
"Bye, Jiminy," Pinocchio said as he held his hand out to the cricket.  
"Yes, arrivederci, Jiminy," Maria (who was now wearing her undergarments) added as she also held her hand out, "Pinocchio and I are going to rescue our fathers."  
"Goodbye?" Jiminy repeated as he backed away, "I maybe live bait down there, but I'm with you two. Come on!" He hopped onto the rock attached to Pinocchio's tail and held his nose as he continued, "Let's go!" The children and the cricket went off the cliff as Jiminy called out, "LOOK OUT BELOW!"

When they all splashed into the water, Pinocchio's rock made the puppet sink fast, but Maria swam along down towards the bottom. She let a few bubbles escape her lips, making her gargle out, "Oh no!" She then put her hand over her lips and said in a gargling voice, "Hey! I know what the potion did now! It's making me breathe underwater!"  
"Gangway down there!" Jiminy gargled as he held onto Pinocchio's sinking rock.  
When the puppet and his friends reached the sea floor, Pinocchio's hat started floating upward; the puppet caught it with a smile and then wondered as he looked about, "Gee, what a big place!"  
The three friends then did the best they could to firmly plant their feet to the sandy ocean floor. Pinocchio walked a little bit and gargled, "Come on, Jiminy!"  
"Let's go!" Maria added as she followed Pinocchio.  
"Alright," Jiminy said as he found a pebble to put in his hat, "As soon as I take on some balance." A little, smiling, orange and black fish appeared and got right into the cricket's face with a smile. "Go aside, sister," the cricket said as he shooed the fish away. When he put the pebble in his hat, he stumbled a bit, and then said to the fish, "Well, so long!" He took another step, and stumbled over, landing on his head – upside down! The fish swam up to him and turned upside down, too! "Hmmm," said the cricket, "Put it in the wrong end!" He swam himself back upward, and was about to the place the pebble in the front of his pants when the little fish watched him. Jiminy scoffed as he walked away, "Hmph! No more privacy than a goldfish!" He placed the pebble into his pants as the little fish kept following him. "Oooh, chilly!" Jiminy remarked as he felt the pebble.

Pinocchio and Maria, meanwhile, kept walking and searching for Monstro the whale. "Father!" Pinocchio called out.  
"Papa!" Maria called out, "Papa whose name is Marco Castelluccio! Papa, where are you?"  
The two of them went under a rock where some coral and other colorful organisms were resting. "Father!" Pinocchio called out, making all the organisms hide in fright.  
"Papa!" Maria called out as some clams peeked out from inside their shells.  
Jiminy fallowed the children and called out, "Hey, Pinoke! Maria!" All the clams shut their shells as the cricket ran after them and said, "Wait for me!" Jiminy then managed to hitch a ride on the rock attached to Pinocchio's tail.  
"Father!" Pinocchio called out.  
"Papa!" Maria cried, "Oh, Papa, where are you?"  
"Father!" Jiminy called out before remembering, "Oh, none of them are my father! Uh, Mr. Gepetto! Mr. Marco!" Just then, the little orange and black fish suckled on Jiminy's umbrella, pulling him off the rock. "Hey, what the?" He cried out as he landed on the sea floor. He pulled the umbrella out of the fish's mouth and ordered, "Let go! Run along, you little…" His sentence was cut off when a larger orange and black fish swam up to him with a glare. "Squirt," Jiminy finished before stammering to the big fish, "What's the matter, kid… I…" he fell backward over a pebble and said nervously, "We were only looking for Monstro!"  
The two fish gave shocked and terrified looks before they swam away fast. "That got him!" said Jiminy Cricket.

The children, meanwhile, kept walking across the sandy ocean floor as they looked for their fathers and the whale. "Father!" Pinocchio called out as a school of colorful fish followed him.  
"Papa!" Maria called out before turning around and seeing the fish. "Oh, hello!" she greeted them with a smile.  
"Father!" Pinocchio called out again, not noticing the fish. A little red fish swam up to him and the puppet greeted, "Oh, hello!" The little fish swam into his shirt sleeve, making Pinocchio giggle.  
"These guys were following us," Maria told the puppet as she showed him the other fish.  
"Oh!" Pinocchio said when he saw the others. "Uh, can you tell me where we can find Monstro?" he asked them. The fish just gave frightened looks and swam away fast. "Gee," said Pinocchio, "They're scared."  
"Monstro is the most fearsome creature of the sea," Maria stated to Pinocchio.

Jiminy Cricket, meanwhile, tapped on a clamshell with his umbrella, and the shellfish opened up the shell. "Uh, pardon me, Pearl," Jiminy said as he stepped inside, "Are you acquainted with Monstro the whale?" The shellfish shut its shell, and then dug itself back into the sand before spitting out some bubbles; Jiminy was inside one bubble!  
As he floated up, the cricket saw his hat in a different bubble and said, "Whoa, hold it there!" He used his umbrella to burst a bit of his bubble open and take his hat back. Just then, water started filling up his bubble, causing it to burst, and making the cricket swim back down to the sea floor.  
As the three friends from land searched and searched, Pinocchio called out, "Father!" On the rock attached to his tail, crabs, starfish, and snails were hitching a ride.  
Jiminy pulled the tiny critters off the rock and said, "What's siding, son? Come on, boys, break it up! Break it up, you!"  
"Papa!" Maria called out as she walked about.  
"Mr. Marco!" Jiminy cried out.  
As the friends passed a forest of seaweed, tiny horse neighs could be heard as Jiminy wondered, "Hey! What the…" Some seahorses were following the land creatures, and they were particularly fixated on Jiminy.

As the cricket pleaded for the seahorses to leave him be, Maria and Pinocchio were both fascinated at the little sea creatures. "What adorable animals!" Maria giggled as she held her finger out and let one seahorse twirl its tail onto the finger.  
Pinocchio giggled as one seahorse twirled its tail onto his wooden nose. Jiminy was "riding" on one seahorse, telling it, "Whoa, there! Steady there, Nellie!" He turned to Pinocchio and said with a grin, "Go ahead, Pinoke. Ask them!"  
Pinocchio smiled at the seahorses and asked them, "Could any of you tell me where to find Monstro?"  
The seahorses shot up with fear, and then neighed in terror as they swam away. The seahorse Jiminy was riding on bucked a bit before whacking him away with its tail.  
"Aw, skunked again!" Maria said with disappointment.  
Jiminy swam back down to his friends, and they all headed to a darker part of the ocean. "Father!" Pinocchio called out as more fish came to watch the sight.  
"Papa!" Maria cried out.  
"Mister Gepetto!" called Jiminy, "Mister Marco!"  
"Papa, where can you be?" Maria called out again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Twenty-One - Swallowed Alive!**

In a dark part of the sea, a large sperm whale was sleeping on the ocean floor. That was the notorious Monstro. He was taking a long nap as we are given a view inside his body. Inside the whale, two men were sitting on the remains of a ship, fishing for any fish that may still have been alive after being swallowed. Those two men just happened to be Gepetto and Maria's biological father Marco; with them were Figaro and Cleo, who were both very hungry and sad.  
"Not a bite for days," Gepetto sighed sadly.  
"Si," agreed Marco, "I haven't had any food since I escaped from that pirate ship a couple of days ago. I knew I should have snatched some before leaving!"  
"Right," Gepetto lamented, "We can't hold out much longer." He then let out a sneeze, and Figaro did the same.  
"Bless you," Marco said to his friends before he gazed up at the whale's ribcage. "Oh, Gepetto," he sighed, "Why did I choose to go off and sell things when I should have stayed with Maria?"  
"It's not your fault, Signore Marco," Gepetto said as he rubbed his nose, "You wanted to give Maria what was best, and I loved her like my own daughter. Then we made a little puppet named Pinocchio, and he came to life, and then they were going to school, and…" He slumped his head in sadness, remembering how he never saw the children again after that morning.  
"I understand, Signore," Marco said as he placed his hand onto Gepetto's shoulder for comfort, "It has been hard on us all – me, you, and even Cleo and Figaro."  
Gepetto turned to his kitten and lamented, "I never thought it would end this way, Figaro. Starving to death in the belly of a whale."  
Figaro nudged his master's side for comfort, and Marco watched on with a tear in his eye. "Oh, Maria, please be okay," he prayed, "I love you."  
"My poor little Pinocchio," Gepetto sadly told himself as he pulled up his empty fishing line, "He was such a good boy. It's hopeless, Figaro."  
Figaro used his tail to reel his own line in, and that line was empty, too. "Still no luck?" Marco asked his friends.  
"There isn't a fish left," Gepetto answered with no hope, "If the monster doesn't wake up soon, I'm afraid we… we are done for."

Back in the sea, a school of tuna was swimming by, and Monstro the whale opened one eye; he shot up when he saw the fish swimming – dinner! He then closed his eye and waited for the fish to come closer to him. As the tuna swam by the eye, Monstro's eye opened up, surprising the fish and making them swim off! Monstro was now fully awake from his nap and chased after the tuna with an open mouth. All the fish flowed into his mouth, down his throat, and into his stomach.

Marco saw the incoming fish and yelled out, "Gepetto! LOOK! We're saved!"  
Gepetto saw the tuna and cried out, "Here it comes! TUNA! OH, TUNA!" He and Marco grabbed their fishing poles and used them to catch the fish so that they would eat them later on. Figaro helped by swatting the flapping fish with his paws down into a container.

Meanwhile, Pinocchio, Maria, and Jiminy Cricket were still wandering the sea floor when they saw the tuna swimming away very quickly. "What's going on with them?" Maria asked with surprise.  
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Pinocchio called to the fish, "Have you seen…" He turned around and saw a familiar whale smash through some rocks, still chasing the fish. "MONSTRO!" Pinocchio cried out.  
Maria screamed and yelled, "He's even bigger than I imagined!" She swam as fast as she could away from the whale, and Pinocchio tried following, only to get his tail caught between two rocks.  
"Oh! We gotta get outta here!" Jiminy cried out as he loosed Pinocchio's tail from the rocks. The two of them swam as fast as they could, trying to catch up to Maria. Jiminy looked back to see Monstro following and cried as he swam away from the wooden boy, "Oh! Come on, Pinoke! Don't wait for me!"  
As Jiminy swam off, Pinocchio finally caught up with Maria, and the two swam for their lives as the whale followed. "Don't look back, Pinocchio!" Maria told her friend with fright, "Just keep swimming!"

Inside the whale, Gepetto and Marco kept reeling in the tuna as Gepetto cried out, "Oh, I've never seen so many!"  
"Yes!" Marco laughed out loud, "It's a smorgasbord of fish!" The waves in the whale's belly moved the boat they were on up and down, and even splashed on the two men! But Gepetto and Marco were too busy to notice; they were fixated on catching fish!  
"Here's another one!" Gepetto called out to Figaro, "Enough for three!" Figaro slapped the fish into a full container with his paws. The old man and his friend kept reeling in several more large tuna, and Figaro tried to slap them all in place, but he ended up getting slapped a few times by the fish!

In the meantime, Maria and Pinocchio were so caught up in the school of tuna that Monstro had opened his mouth and started swallowing them alive! "Come on, Pinocchio!" Maria yelled to her friend, "This guy ate our papas, but he's not gonna eat us!" The two children swam upward to the surface, jumped out of the water, and ended up getting swallowed alive by Monstro! The whale then slapped belly-down on the water's surface and rested, for he was now full of food.  
Jiminy Cricket, meanwhile, floated down from the sky with his umbrella open, and landed right by Monstro's toothy mouth. "Hey, Blubbermouth!" he yelled, "Open up! I gotta get in there!" He knocked on a tooth, but Monstro didn't hear him.

Back inside the whale, Gepetto and Marco were reeling in the last of the fish as Gepetto called out, "Looks like the last of them!"  
"Excellent!" said Marco, "Now we have enough tuna to feed a kingdom!"  
Off the boat, two familiar children swam in the water and held onto a large tuna fish. Gepetto reeled the fish with Maria and Pinocchio as he said, "Only a few left!"  
"Hey! Hey, Father!" Pinocchio yelled as another fish piled up on him.  
"Papa!" Maria called out as she got herself out of the fish container, "Papa, I'm here!"  
Marco turned his head with shock and surprise as Pinocchio yelled out, "Father!"  
"Don't bother me now, Pinocchio!" Gepetto yelled with his eyes closed.  
"Gepetto, look!" Marco cried as he pointed the children out to Gepetto.  
Gepetto stopped and shot up. "Pinocchio? Maria?" he asked with disbelief.

Marco looked at his daughter and then picked her up to twirl her around and give her a big hug and dozens of kisses. "Oh, Maria!" he cried out with tears of happiness, "My daughter! My little angel!"  
"Papa!" Maria said with happiness as she held onto her father.  
"Father!" Pinocchio called out to Gepetto.  
The old man ran to pick up Pinocchio and hug him, but he hugged a fish, instead and said, "Oh, Pinocchio, my son!"  
"Hey, Father!" Pinocchio called out from under a fish, "Here I am!"  
Gepetto looked to see Pinocchio, and then saw that he was cuddling a fish. "Oh, yes!" he cried out as Pinocchio jumped into his arms, "Pinocchio, my boy! I-I'm so happy to see you!"  
"Me too, Father!" Pinocchio cried out with joy. At that moment, Figaro the kitten jumped onto his master's head and gave a happy meow. "Figaro!" Pinocchio said as the kitten rubbed his head against the wooden boy, "Aw, Figaro!" A familiar goldfish jumped up and down from her fishbowl when she saw the wooden puppet. "Cleo!" Pinocchio happily exclaimed as Gepetto brought him over to the bowl, "Cleo, you're here, too!"  
"Yes, we're all together again!" Gepetto happily laughed before he glanced over to see another reunion.

Marco and his daughter kept on happily hugging each other, after they had been separated for a long time. "Papa, where have you been?" Maria asked her father as she slowly broke away from him.  
"Oh, it's a very long story," Marco breathed to her, "I was travelling down the road when I met two ne'er-do-wells, and I ended up getting taken hostage by pirates! I'll explain in better details later when we all sit down to a nice seafood dinner!"  
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Maria said to her father as she hugged him again; this time she rested her head upon his chest to hear his heartbeat. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a sneeze!

Pinocchio was the one who had sneezed, and Gepetto told him, "Oh, you are soaking wet!"  
"Yes, Father," Pinocchio said as Gepetto set him down to sit on top of a barrel.  
"You mustn't catch cold," Gepetto informed the wooden boy as he went off to get something.  
"But I came to save you…" Pinocchio started.  
"You know you and Maria shouldn't have come down here," Gepetto said as he took a blanket from a bed.  
"Signore Gepetto probably means you too, Maria," said Marco as he and Maria stood back up, "Good heavens! Where is your dress?"  
"I needed to have an easy way to swim," Maria insisted to her father as he led her over to the barrel were Pinocchio was sitting.  
"I'm awfully glad to see the both of you!" Gepetto said as he wrapped the blanket around Pinocchio, "Let me take your hat…" When he took Pinocchio's hat off, he saw that the wooden boy had donkey's ears!  
I knew he'd notice sooner or later, Maria thought with worry.  
"Pinocchio!" Gepetto cried with shock as Figaro hid behind Cleo's bowl, and the goldfish hid in her castle.  
"W-what's the matter?" Pinocchio asked as he looked around.  
Maria just frowned as Gepetto said with disbelief, "Those ears!"  
Marco was speechless like his daughter as Pinocchio noticed his ears and said, "Huh? Ears? Oh, these!" He smiled as he felt his donkey ears and then showed his tail off and laughed, "Oh, that's nothing. I got a tail, too!" At the end of his laugh, he let out a donkey's hee-haw and covered his mouth in shock.

Figaro jumped into Cleo's bowl in shock while Maria did an annoyed face palm and said, "I have nothing to do with this!"  
"Pinocchio!" Gepetto said with disbelief before he asked, "What's happened to you?"  
"Go ahead, tell him," Maria told her little friend with a serious look on her face.  
Pinocchio held his tail and said nervously, "Well, I… I… I,"  
"Oh, never mind now!" Gepetto said with a calmer, happier tone, "Old Gepetto has his little wooden head, and Signore Castelluccio has his little angel!" He picked Pinocchio up and hugged him while Marco went over to his daughter and put his hand around her shoulders with a smile. "And nothing else matters!" Gepetto finished.  
Marco took his daughter to another part of the shipwreck, and then motioned for her to sit. "Maria, let me tell about what has happened to me," he told her. And so Marco began to tell a story.


	22. Chapter 22

**Twenty-Two - Marco's Story and An Escape Plan**

 _The day after he left Maria, Marco was walking down a path in the woods, when a familiar fox and cat looked at him from a distance – way ahead of him down the path. "Look at that, Giddy!" J. Worthington Fowlfellow said to Gideon with a grin, "There's a peddler on his way to peddling something to the public! Maybe if we get him to make an offer with someone, then we could get a handsome reward?"_  
 _Gideon just nodded dopily. Fowlfellow looked over at a signpost pointing to a harbor, and then got an idea._

 _A few minutes later, Marco kept walking along when he saw what appeared to be two injured animals lying on the side of the road. "Oh, you poor creatures!" Marco said with sympathy as he stopped, "Let me help you up!" He helped the two animals up, and they then sprang to life as Fowlfellow and Gideon._  
 _"Oh, how very kind of you, my dear sir!" the fox exclaimed with a "grateful" grin, "My associate and I were walking along when we suddenly tripped over a log and fell down! Right, Giddy?"_  
 _Gideon just dopily nodded as he held up his ankle, revealing a white bandage around it._  
 _"Oh, there's surely something my colleague and I can do in return for your kindness!" Fowlfellow suggested to Marco._  
 _Marco thought for a moment and then said with a small smile, "You know… I am travelling around selling woodcarvings, and I was wondering if there was anyone from out of town looking for a souvenir."_  
 _Those words were music to the fox's ears, knowing that there were some mysterious strangers in the harbor that very day. "I'll tell you what," Fowlfellow suggested to Marco, "Maybe you could go to the harbor and find someone new in town who could use one of your carvings!"_  
 _Gideon, meanwhile, was admiring Marco's sack of carvings, and then took out a long pipe. He took a breath from its small mouthpiece, but then when he exhaled, he was surprised that no smoke came out._  
 _The cat put the pipe back into the sack as Marco tapped it with his finger and said to the fox, "Newcomers, eh? I suppose…"_  
 _"They'd love to see what you've got!" Fowlfellow exclaimed with a wide grin, "What have you got in that little sack of yours besides pipes?"_  
 _"Oh, all kinds of things my mentor and I have been working on!" Marco beamed, seeming to go along with Fowlfellow's plan, "Pipes, figurines, toys, music boxes, maybe even a marionette or two!"_  
 _Fowlfellow and Gideon each took one of Marco's hands and led him down a path as Gideon called out, "Excellent! Then it's off to the harbor with you, my good sir!" Fowlfellow then sang his "Hi-diddle-dee-dee" song as he, Gideon, and Marco went down the path leading towards the harbor._

 _In the harbor, there was a dark and mysterious ship docked by the pier. No flags were up, and the crew members had suspicious feels to them; they could have been pirates!_  
 _In the meantime, Marco looked around the harbor and was about to set up a stand for his merchandise when he saw the strange ship. "Hmmm," he wondered to himself, "The fox said there would be some newcomers who wanted my merchandise. I wonder…" He took his sack of merchandise and walked over to the ship. No sooner had he climbed onto the board leading to the ship than he was captured by a crew member! The crew man gagged Marco and knocked him cold with a large piece of wood. Then, the ship was untied from the pier, and Marco's sack of merchandise was left behind._

 _When he woke up several hours later, Marco found himself below the deck of the ship; surrounding him were jewels, swords, pieces of gold, and pistols. "I must be aboard a pirate ship!" Marco whispered to himself, "I have to get out of here and find my Maria!"_  
 _Just then, the door up above opened and a mean-looking and gruff pirate captain dressed in a red trench coat and black hat appeared._

Back inside the belly of Monstro the whale, Marco finished his story by telling Gepetto and the children, "All those pirates were meaner and nastier than Monstro himself! I had to mop the floors of the deck day and night for a very long time, but then fate smiled down upon me one night!"  
"What happened, Papa?" Maria asked with wide eyes.  
Marco explained, "Well, one night, while everyone was asleep – including the men at the steering wheel and crow's nest – I tiptoed silently upon the deck and saw an empty lifeboat! Immediately, I went into that lifeboat, lowered myself down with the rope, and then I rowed away from the ship with an oar. I sailed in the opposite direction that ship was going for a day or two, and then I saw Signore Gepetto here in his own lifeboat, too!" Figaro meowed and rubbed his head against Marco's ankle while Cleo bubbled from inside her bowl. "Oh, yes!" Marco remembered when he noticed the animals, "Figaro and Cleo were there, too!"  
"Si," Gepetto said, "Maria, your father jumped out of his boat and swam up to me, and then he told me everything about what happened to him. And I told him that I was looking for you and Pinocchio, so I wouldn't stop until I looked high and low, across all the seven seas if I had to!"  
"Yes," Marco added before letting out a sigh, "I did not want to go out to sea again, but I wanted to help Signore Gepetto find you two children. So we sailed on for a few more days, and then Monstro came up from under the water and swallowed us!"  
"Oh my goodness!" Pinocchio gasped, "Then how are we gonna get out?"  
"There's no way out," Gepetto said with a sad shake of his head, "We've tried everything. Look around you."

Meanwhile, up on the surface, Jiminy Cricket was shouting to Monstro, "I gotta get in! My pals are in there! Come on, you big moose! Open up, I tell you!" Just then, some seagull starting squawking and flying by the little cricket. "Hey!" Jiminy cried out as he dodged the birds' beaks, "Cut it out!" He then jumped into a floating bottle and stuck his open umbrella over the opening. "Hey, beat it, you buzzards!" Jiminy cursed to the seagulls, who still didn't leave him alone.  
Back inside the whale, Gepetto was explaining the situation to Maria and Pinocchio, "Oh, no, son," he said, "We've tried every way. Why, we-we even built a raft!" He pointed to a large raft that was tied to the shipwreck.  
"A raft?" Pinocchio asked as he came up with an idea, "That's it!"  
"Huh?" asked Gepetto.  
"What are you talking about?" Marco asked with a puzzled face.  
"We'll all take the raft," Pinocchio explained, "And then when the whale opens its mouth…"  
"No, no, no," Gepetto lamented to his wooden son, "Now listen, son. He only opens his mouth when he's eating. Then everything comes in, and nothing goes out."  
"Oh," Pinocchio said with disappointment.  
"We have to think of some way to get out!" Maria pleaded.  
"It's hopeless, children," Gepetto said as he gently took the wooden boy's arm, "Come. We'll make a nice fire and we'll cook some of the fish."  
Pinocchio grinned at the word "fire" and thought of something else. "A fire!" he cried excitedly, "That's it!"  
"Yes," said Gepetto.  
"It will keep us warm and give us a good meal," Marco added with a hungry smile.  
"And then we'll all eat!" Gepetto smiled.  
"A great big fire!" Pinocchio said with high optimism as he ran for something, "Lots of smoke!"  
"Smoke?" Gepetto said as Figaro and Maria followed the marionette, "Oh, sure! Smoked fish will taste good!"  
"Quick! Some more!" Pinocchio said as he handed Gepetto a pile of firewood.  
"Pinocchio, what's going on?" Maria asked.  
Pinocchio took a chair and smashed it over a barrel as Gepetto pleaded, "Pinocchio, not the chair!"  
"Whatever are you doing, boy?" Marco asked the puppet.  
"Hurry, Father!" Pinocchio called out, "More wood! Come on, Marco and Maria!"  
"Oh, what will we sit on?" Gepetto asked.  
"We won't need it!" Pinocchio said as he picked up a lantern, "We're getting out!" He then threw the lantern over the pile of wood, and the fire created a bonfire!  
"Getting out?" Gepetto asked with shock, "How?"  
"We'll make him sneeze!" Pinocchio said as he placed a large blanket over the fire and pointed to the whale's blowhole.  
"We'll what?" Maria asked with disbelief.  
"Make him sneeze?" Gepetto repeated with extreme worry, "Oh, that will make him mad!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Twenty-Three - Escaping Monstro**

The smoke inside the whale travelled up to his blowhole, and then exited out. The seagulls sitting on top of the whale's head and melon squawked and flew away; Monstro sniffed the air, and sure enough, he felt a sneeze coming on when he sniffed the smoke! He opened his mouth, inhaling lots of air and water. "Well, it's about time!" Jiminy Cricket cried out as he rowed his bottle into the whale's mouth.  
Inside Monstro's mouth, Gepetto, Marco, and the children pushed the raft towards the teeth while Figaro and Cleo stayed on the raft. "It won't work!" Gepetto cried.  
"Pinocchio, are you sure about this?" Marco asked the wooden boy.  
"Hurry, guys!" Pinocchio cried as he climbed upon the raft, "Climb aboard!"  
"Come on!" Maria yelled as she joined Pinocchio.  
"We'll never get by those teeth!" Gepetto cried.  
"Yes we will!" yelled Pinocchio as he untied the ropes for the sails.  
"We have to have hope!" Maria added.  
Jiminy, meanwhile, was just arriving into the whale's mouth and asked, "Hey! Which way you going? Hang on! Wait for me!"  
"Hang on!" Pinocchio told his friends, "Out we go!"  
Just then, Monstro let out a humongous sneeze, expelling the humans, puppet, and animals out of his mouth!

The raft holding Marco, Gepetto, the children, and the pets landed on top of the ocean surface, and the bottle holding Jiminy Cricket swirled around a bit in the water before Jiminy poked his head from the opening and said, "Gesundheit!"  
Suddenly, Monstro breathed in another sneeze, taking the raft with his inhaling breath! Gepetto took an oar and shouted, "We're going back!"  
The men and children started rowing with their oars as Pinocchio shouted, "No, we'll make it! Faster, faster!"  
"We can't let the whale eat us again!" Maria added as she rowed as hard as she could.  
The whale inhaled the raft into his mouth again as Gepetto cried out, "It's no use! We're going down!"  
But then Monstro did another big sneeze and let the raft out of his mouth again. "We made it!" Pinocchio cried.  
"But look over there!" Maria cried out with fright as she pointed to Monstro. The whale inhaled some more, but then he shook himself with deep rage.

The party on top of the raft moved their oars in the water and rowed as far as they could away from Monstro. Gepetto turned to see the whale and cried, "Look! Now he is mad!"  
"We've got to get away from him as quickly as possible!" Marco ordered everyone as they moved their oars faster and faster.  
Monstro dove into the water and then charged at the party with a deadly expression of fury. "I told you he'd be furious!" Gepetto exclaimed to Pinocchio as everyone kept on rowing.  
Just then, Monstro did a deep dive into the ocean, and then swam up towards the raft.  
Gepetto saw that the whale had disappeared and said, "He's gone!"  
"Where'd he go?" Pinocchio asked.  
It was that moment when the whale rammed its front up at the raft, and knocked everyone off! Maria screamed and tried to hold her father's hand as she and everyone else tumbled down the whale's back and splashed into the ocean. Monstro then sped towards some rocks and quickly turned around with a frightening roar, heading back towards the humans and puppet!

In the ocean, Maria helped Marco onto the raft, while Pinocchio helped Gepetto. "He's coming back!" Pinocchio cried when he saw Monstro coming.  
"Look out!" Maria shouted.  
"Hurry!" yelled Pinocchio.  
"Everyone, take an oar!" Marco yelled.  
"He's trying to kill us!" exclaimed Gepetto, "Paddle, everybody!"  
Everyone used their oars to paddle, and soon started going over a very large wave in the water. They flowed down the wave just as Monstro came after them.  
"Here he comes!" cried Gepetto.  
"Let's go back!" Pinocchio suggested as he paddled the water with his oar.  
"Must go faster, must go faster!" Maria yelled with worry.  
The whale dove into the water, missing the raft by a few feet, and then slapped his flukes and tail down. "LOOK OUT!" yelled Gepetto, "JUMP!"  
Everyone jumped off the raft and into the water just as Monstro slapped his tail onto it.

The raft broke into several bits and pieces, and the children gasped for air on the surface of the water. "FATHER!" Pinocchio called out, "FATHER! Father!"  
Gepetto was holding onto a piece of the mast while breathing, "Pinocchio! Swim to shore! Swim for shore!" He then started to sink as Monstro jumped out of the water again.  
Maria saw Monstro coming and screamed out with fright, "Pinocchio! Papa! SWIM AWAY!"  
Marco took a hold of his daughter and breathed, "Come on, Maria! Don't look back! GO!"  
The father and daughter swam away from Monstro as fast as they could while Pinocchio swam to Gepetto, trying to save him. "Save… yourself!" Gepetto breathed to his little wooden boy. As he went under the water, Pinocchio took him by the arm, and then pulled up to the surface for air. He turned around and gave a shocked look when he saw Monstro coming right towards him!  
Meanwhile, Maria and her father were standing on some rocks by the beach when Maria called out, "PINOCCHIO! WATCH OUT!"  
As Monstro swam faster and faster, Pinocchio looked and saw a little opening between the rocks; he knew it would be safe for him and Gepetto to go through if only he hurried!  
"COME, ON PINOCCHIO!" Maria screamed at the top of her lungs. She and her father had just made it over the rocks and were about to climb down to the beach when they saw Pinocchio and Gepetto caught in a huge wave created by Monstro.  
"Maria, we must hurry!" Marco ordered his daughter, "We must climb down to safety!"  
As Marco helped his daughter down from the rocks, Pinocchio saw Monstro coming towards him and Gepetto, and then the whale charged at them just as they finally made it through the hole in the rocks! Monstro made a big splash, sending everyone, including Marco and Maria, flying down and landing on the soft, sandy beach!

After fleeing Monstro, Gepetto, Marco, and Maria were all lying on the sandy beach, feeling exhausted from swimming. Then, when another tide came onto the beach, the water brought up Cleo in her fishbowl, and Figaro clinging onto a wooden board. The kitten and fishbowl rested on the sand as the humans all breathed heavily. "Pinocchio," Gepetto breathed, "Save yourself… don't mind me, son… save yourself… Pinocchio."  
Figaro climbed onto his old master's abdomen while Maria turned her head and breathed, "Papa… Papa, come… where are you?"  
Marco moaned a bit, and then turned his head towards Maria. "It's all right, my little angel," he whispered as he gently caressed her raven hair, "I'm here."  
"Pinocchio?" Maria breathed softly, "Where's… Pinocchio?"  
Marco's expression changed to worry when he remembered Pinocchio.  
In the meantime, Jiminy Cricket washed up to shore in his bottle. He jumped out of the bottle and ran onto the beach, calling, "Pinocchio! Oh, Pinocchio!" He climbed a stone and called again, "Pinocchi…" He gasped when he saw the little wooden boy, lying face-down in the water. Poor Pinocchio had drowned and died while trying to save Gepetto's life!


	24. Chapter 24

**Twenty-Four - A Happy Ending**

Later that night, at Gepetto's workshop, Pinocchio's lifeless body was lying on top of Gepetto's bed, while the old man, Marco, Maria, and the animals mourned for the wooden boy. "My boy," Gepetto whispered sadly as he knelt over his bed with his arms over his face, "My brave little boy."  
At a candle, Jiminy Cricket was shedding some tears over his lost friend. Figaro and Cleo watched together as poor Gepetto cried over Pinocchio.  
Marco and Maria (wearing her green dress again) stood by each other in sadness. "Oh, Papa," Maria sobbed softly, "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let Pinocchio go into the ocean! I wish I died, too!"  
As his daughter buried her face into his chest, Marco, stoked her hair and gently shushed, "Shhh. Maria, this is nobody's fault. Pinocchio was a brave little boy who just wanted to do things right. And so he gave up his life to save Signore Gepetto."

As everyone kept on mourning, a blue light surrounded Pinocchio's body, and the Blue Fairy's voice could be heard saying, "Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish. And someday you will be a real boy." Sparkles covered Pinocchio as the voice said, "Awake, Pinocchio, awake."  
When the sparkles disappeared, Pinocchio moved around a bit, sat up, and rubbed his eyes. Something about his appearance changed; his donkey ears and tail disappeared, and he didn't look wooden anymore. In fact, he looked like a real human being! The boy didn't take notice; instead, he asked Gepetto, "Father, what'cha crying for?"  
"Because you're dead, Pinocchio," Gepetto said sadly, not looking up.  
"No!" Pinocchio said with a grin, "No I'm not!"  
"Yes," Gepetto lamented, "Yes, you are. Now lie down."  
Maria saw Pinocchio come to life and gasped with surprise, "Papa, look!"  
Marco also noticed as his jaw dropped in disbelief.  
"But, Father!" Pinocchio pleaded to Gepetto, "I've alive, see?" He waved his hand and then said, "And I'm…" He looked at his hand with disbelief and surprise, and looked at his whole body. "I'm real," he gasped, "I'M A REAL BOY!"  
Gepetto looked up and saw that his wooden boy was alive again, and a real boy! "You're alive!" Gepetto gasped happily; Jiminy Cricket turned to see and also smiled. "And you ARE a real boy!" Gepetto continued as he happily held his son in his arms.

Jiminy gave a cheerful whoop while Figaro meowed happily and then jumped into Cleo's fishbowl to kiss the goldfish on the lips. Maria ran over to Pinocchio and Gepetto, and cried out happily, "Oh, Pinocchio! You're alive – and you're real! I can't believe it!" She went back over to Marco and hugged him as she exclaimed, "Pinocchio's a real boy! I knew he had it in him!"  
"Of course!" Marco told his daughter with a smile, "Dreams do come true if you just believe and do what's right!"  
"This calls for a celebration!" Gepetto announced as he ran his hand over a few cuckoo clock pendulums. The clocks began to whistle, chirp, and make all kinds of noises as Gepetto went to a few music boxes and pushed their buttons. The figurines on the boxes moved around while cheerful music played. Gepetto picked up his accordion, and then danced with Pinocchio, Maria, and Marco. Figaro danced gleefully beside Cleo's bowl, and the goldfish twirled around in the water.  
Jiminy saw the excitement and said, "Well! This is practically where I came in!" He did his own cheerful dance, and then made his way towards a window.

When the cricket looked out the window, he saw a familiar wishing star shining brightly in the sky. He opened the window, and stepped out onto the windowsill before closing the window again. Jiminy looked at the star, removed his hat, and stepped forward a bit. "Thank you, milady," Jiminy told the star, "He deserved to be a real boy. And that girl deserves to grow up just like her mother, too. It sure was nice of you to…" His sentence was cut off when a light shone down upon him, and he looked around with disbelief. Just then, a golden badge appeared on the front of his jacket; it said, "Official Conscience – 18 kt."  
"Well, I'll be!" said Jiminy with a happy chuckle, "My, my! Solid gold, too! Oh, I think it's swell!"

 **Two Years Later**  
Two years after her adventure with Pinocchio, Maria was happily living with her father in their original cottage not far from Gepetto's workshop. After Pinocchio had turned into a real boy, Marco and Maria decided to take action and press charges against J. Worthington Fowlfellow, Gideon, Stromboli, and Pleasure Island's Coachman. When all of them were caught, they were put into a maximum security prison, and stayed there ever since. The boys who turned into donkeys, however, had not yet been found, but an organization to help track them down and create an antidote was in the works by Marco and Maria.

Maria finished up two more years of school, and finally decided to sing in the streets every other night, gaining determination and courage to follow her mother's footsteps. One night, a large crowd, which included Pinocchio, Gepetto, and Jiminy Cricket, gathered in front of a stage in the town square, and Marco first appeared onstage. A spotlight shone down on him as he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight is a very special night, for my daughter has decided to sing a song dedicated to a little friend of hers and his adoptive father. In the audience tonight, we have the honorable Signore Gepetto and his little boy Pinocchio!" Everyone clapped as the spotlight shone upon Gepetto and Pinocchio; Jiminy watched from atop a lamppost. Marco continued, "This father and son helped my daughter overcome shyness, seek courage, and fulfill her dream of following her mother's footsteps. Give a big, round of applause to my very own… Maria Castelluccio!"  
Everyone clapped and cheered as Marco left the stage, and a familiar girl appeared from behind the curtains. Maria was wearing an indigo dress with a white skirt under a transparent blue cloth, white gloves, a blue headband, and a silver chain around her neck with a blue stone. Maria cleared her throat as a nearby band began to play soothing and hopeful music. Then, the girl sang:

 _When you wish upon a star_  
 _Makes no difference who you are_  
 _Anything your heart desires_  
 _Will come to you!_

Everyone swooned and sighed with satisfaction at the girl's sweet voice. Gepetto shed a tear of happiness while Pinocchio watched with wide eyes.

 _If your heart is in your dream_  
 _No request is too extreme_  
 _When you wish upon a star_  
 _As dreamers do!_

From his lamppost, Jiminy Cricket smiled and sighed to himself, "That girl is a rising star. She's bound for great things in the near future!"

 _Fate is kind_  
 _She brings to those who love_  
 _The sweet fulfillment of_  
 _Their secret longing!_

From up in the sky, the Blue Fairy and the spirit of Arabella looked down upon Maria with grins from a cloud. The Fairy said, "Dearest Maria, you have made your father proud; you have made Gepetto proud; and I am sure you would make your mother proud. Just keep doing right, and your wish will be fulfilled when you become an adult!"  
"My darling child," smiled Arabella, "I knew you would do good for the world one day. You have made both your father and me proud now!"  
Back onstage, everyone in the crowd watched with happiness and awe as the young girl finished her song:

 _Like a bolt out of the blue_  
 _Fate steps in and sees you through_  
 _When you wish upon a star_  
 _Your dreams come true!_

Everyone then gave a big round of applause as Maria smiled greatly and bowed. Roses and coins were tossed to her on the stage, and Maria just said, "Thank you. _Mille grazie_ , everyone!"  
Marco just watched with tears of happiness in his eyes as Maria left the stage, collecting roses and coins. He knew that his daughter had made him proud, and was bound for great expectations in the years to come.

 **THE END**


End file.
